The Buffs say they are just happy to be playing another game and looking forward to finally facing a non-conference foe after a bruising Big 12 season.

After finishing ninth in the conference, Colorado will make its first postseason appearance in three years tonight against Gonzaga in the second round of the WNIT at the Coors Events Center (7 p.m. tipoff).

The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are probably looking forward to playing a Big 12 team.

Despite finishing with a 25-8 record and winning the West Coast Conference regular-season title for the fourth consecutive season, Gonzaga was not invited to the NCAA Tournament -- which gave the Big 12 eight bids -- after losing in the finals of the conference tournament.

"I kind of left it up to the kids. I wasn't going to play that card," Zags head coach Kelly Graves said when asked if getting snubbed by the selection committee would serve as motivation in the WNIT. "It's OK. No sour grapes here. We have a young team. Maybe if we had a senior-laden team we would be more disappointed. But the fact that we're young, any tournament action is going to be good for us."

Gonzaga is led by super sophomore Heather Bowman, a 6-foot-2 forwardfrom Spokane, Wash., who averages 20.3 points and 8.4 rebounds. She shoots 52.6 percent from the field and is going to present a difficult challenge defensively for the Buffs.

CU, of course, counters with 6-3 senior forward Jackie McFarland (17.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg).

"If you look at them they look like Kansas State as far as what they like to do on the perimeter, the style of play, the way they execute, their body type," Buffs head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said. "They look like a K-State to us. We're comfortable with that. That's a good matchup for us."

K-State finished first in the Big 12 during the regular season but split its two meetings with CU. McConnell-Miller reminded her team that the Wildcats won the WNIT two years ago, Wyoming won the tournament last season and both of those programs used the experience to make the jump to the NCAA Tournament this year.

"I just want to be playing as long as we can," Buffs sophomore Aija Putnina said. "I think it will help a lot."

Gonzaga opened the WNIT with a decisive 81-60 home victory over UC-Davis on Thursday night. Bowman scored 12 points and eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau despite missing five games this season and having two years of eligibility remaining.

"(Bowman) has done that against good opponents and against game plans that are designed to stop her," said Graves, whose team played Tennessee, Arizona State, Marquette and Purdue during the non-conference season. "She really is a special player."

The winner of tonight's matchup will advance to the third round to play Villanova. The site and date are to be determined.

"We've just been battle tested," McConnell-Miller said when asked about preparing for postseason play. "Every night we know we faced the strongest teams in the country in the toughest conference in the country. And you know you've been hit with some of the best as far as talented guards, strong post play, great coaches, execution, fans on the road. ...

"You have to draw from that and know that you're better as a result from that and not feel like we weren't successful in certain areas. We've become a better team as a result of that."