CONWAY — In each of the last two seasons, the Sugar Bears have seen their season end on their opponent's home floor – losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to 3rd-seeded Louisville and Texas in 2016 and 2017.

This year, playing their postseason in the Women's Basketball Invitational, the Sugar Bears are the ones who will have the home court advantage when they open play in the WBI tonight at 7:00pm in the Farris Center against SIU Edwardsville, continuing their Postseason Run Presented by First Security Bank.

The Sugar Bears (22-9) are 2-1 all-time against SIUE with wins in 2008 and 09, and are 13-15 all-time against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference.

Just as the Sugar Bears finished 3rd in the Southland Conference with a 14-4 league record this season, SIUE (17-14) finished 3rd in the OVC – going 13-5 with three of their losses coming to the top two teams in the league, Belmont and UT Martin. And just as the Sugar Bears were eliminated in the semifinals of their conference tournament, the Cougars were also ousted in the semis of their league tournament, falling 69-67 to UT Martin, their second loss of the season to the Skyhawks.

While the Sugar Bears closed out the regular season well, winning 6 of their last 7, the Cougars stumbled into the postseason having dropped 3 of their final 4 – including a loss to the OVC's last-place team in Eastern Illinois, which finished the season 3-26 overall and 2-16 in conference play.

By virtue of having the best RPI in the 16-team field, the Sugar Bears would be in line to host for the duration of their stay in the tournament, with a victory putting them in position for a 2nd round matchup against the Texas Southern-Weber State winner on Monday in the Farris Center.

The Cougars average 65.1 points per game, but allow 64.1 – the 151st ranked scoring defense in the country. The Sugar Bears are 2nd in the nation, allowing just 50.5 per game. SIUE shoots 39.7 percent from the field for the season, 196th in the nation, and have been whistled for 19.2 fouls per game – 291st in the country.

SIUE is led by a pair of senior All-OVC guards in 5-foot-9 Donshel Beck and 5-8 Lauren White.  Beck, a 1st-team All-OVC selection, averages 13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists. White, named 2nd team All-OVC averages 13.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The Sugar Bears counter with a trio of All-Southland performers in senior frontcourt tandem of Taylor Baudoin (15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 51.8 FG pct.) and Kierra Jordan (11.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 48.6 FG pct.) along with junior guard Kamry Orr (12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists), in addition to Southland All-Defensive selection Taylor Sells.

A win would give the Sugar Bears their first Division I national postseason tournament victory, as they have gone winless in their previous four appearances with losses to eventual tournament champions UAB and Oklahoma State in the 2011 WBI and 2012 WNIT before the losses at Louisville and Texas in the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons.

FOLLOW
• Watch on Southland Digital Network – apps available for iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku
• Radio broadcast on The Bear 91.3 and streaming online with pregame beginning at 6:40
• Live Stats
• Follow @ucasports, @ucascoreboard and @ucawbb on Twitter