Home teams are 44-16 so far in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, a big reason the Michigan women’s basketball team is happy to host its fifth consecutive game Wednesday against Miami.

Games in the WNIT are played at host sites all the way through, unlike the men’s version, which plays the final four in Madison Square Garden in New York.

Michigan (21-13) has dominated at home in the tournament, winning by an average of 24.3 points to reach the semifinal round. Miami (21-13) played at home in its first three WNIT games and went on the road to beat Providence, 73-65, on Sunday in the quarterfinal round.

Michigan has enjoyed a small hardcore fan base of about 2,000 fans, a student section that plays pick-up basketball as a halftime show, and, of course, the band.

“They band is probably our best, most dedicated fans,” Michigan freshman Jenny Ryan said after the band chanted her name during the team’s win over Northwestern. “They’re here every game.”

Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman agreed that the home court can help. His team looked dominant in the WNIT — until the Wolverines dismantled the Orange in Ann Arbor, that is.

“We won three in our place,” he said after the Michigan game. “I don’t want to blame it on that. … Normally when we play tough, we win basketball games. We just didn’t do what we’ve been doing all season.”

A representative for the WNIT was at the Wolverines’ 78-52 win over Syracuse last Sunday. Although the tournament has taken factors like attendance and performance into the host sites for other rounds, he said he wasn’t sure of the requirements for the championship venue.

Andy Reid covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at andrewreid@annarbor.com