Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra will start postseason play on Thursday when the Pride travels to the Palestra to take on the University of Pennsylvania in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The game time has been released and will feature a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Penn will offer live video of the game and free live audio via Pride Productions will also be available. The game can be heard locally on WRHU (88.7 FM) starting with a 6:30 p.m. pregame.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for  youth (ages 12-and-under). Seating is general admission and fans can purchase tickets online.

Hofstra is 20-12 and has already clinched just the fourth 20-win season in the program's Division I era. Three of those campaigns have come under Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey. The Pride won two games in the CAA Championship for the first time in school history and held a second half lead before dropping a closely contested title game matchup against top-seeded James Madison in the team's previous game.

Bolstered by the CAA Tournament performance, Hofstra earned a spot in the 64-team postseason field. It is the fifth time in program history the Pride has qualified for the WNIT and first since 2012. The selection marks the fourth time Hofstra earned a spot in the postseason tournament under Kilburn-Steveskey. Hofstra qualified for the WNIT in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2012. Hofstra is 4-4 all-time in the WNIT.

Penn will be playing in the first WNIT in program history. The Quakers went 20-8 overall in the regular season and 11-3 against the Ivy League to record the team's third straight postseason appearance (the Quakers reached the WBI in 2012-13 and the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14). This season, Penn won the program's first-ever Big 5 title and clinched back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. Hofstra played two common opponents with the Quakers. Both teams defeated NJIT, but Penn lost at Drexel, while the Pride split two conference matchups with the Dragons. The winner will face either Temple or Marist. The Red Foxes host the Owls on Thursday in Poughkeepsie, New York. 

Sophomore forward Elo Edeferioka enters the postseason playing some of the best basketball of the season. The Warri, Nigeria native posted back-to-back double-doubles in the semifinals and championship game of the CAA Tournament to earn All-CAA Tournament honors, joining Krystal Luciano as the Hofstra representatives. Edeferioka recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds against a JMU squad receiving votes in the latest Associated Press poll in the championship game and went for 12 points and a season-high 16 rebounds (as well as a career-high four blocks and three steals) in the 45-42 semifinal victory over Delaware at Show Place Arena.

Hofstra leading scorer Kelly Loftus scored all 16 of her points in the second half against JMU, which marked the ninth team she scored at least 15 points this season (two came against the Dukes). Loftus, a sophomore guard, is averaging 12.2 points.

Junior point guard Darius Faulk is leading Hofstra with 2.1 steals per game and her defensive ability was part of a group effort that limited CAA Player of the Year Precious Hall to 1-of-20 shooting in the championship game. Faulk's 5.2 assists-per-game average is the best on the squad.

The Pride is 0-1 all-time against Penn with the only meeting between the schools coming in the season opener of the 2001-02 campaign.