TicketsWomen's Hoops to Face 14 Postseason Teams
Contact: Geoff Wiswell
10/7/2004
Returning starting point guard Micah Harvey will lead the Bearcats in their bid for an eighth-straight postseason appearance. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio ? Fourteen games against teams which appeared in the postseason last year highlight the University of Cincinnati?s 2004-05 women?s basketball schedule.
The Bearcats will play eight games against teams which reached the NCAA Tournament and six against WNIT participants.
After opening the season at Toledo on Nov. 19, the Bearcats host six-straight home games featuring four teams from the tri-state area. The home-opener is against Detroit, followed by match-ups with Ball State, Indiana State and Xavier. UC then welcomes Big Ten power Michigan State on Dec. 4 before hosting the annual Crosstown Shootout with Xavier on Dec. 11.
Road games at Evansville and Middle Tennessee sandwich home contests with Alabama State and Loyola Marymount.
UC closes the non-conference slate by hosting SEC foe Arkansas. The Bearcats last faced the Lady Razorbacks when the latter knocked UC out of the NCAA Tournament in 2003 in Fifth Third Arena.
UC?s final season of Conference USA play opens with road games at UAB and USF, followed by three-straight home contests. UC takes on rival Louisville on Jan. 16, before hosting 2004 C-USA Tournament finalists Houston and TCU on Jan. 21 and 23.
The remainder of the C-USA slate includes home games against NCAA Tournament participants Marquette and DePaul on Feb. 5 and 7. After closing the home season on Feb. 20 against Southern Miss, the Bearcats finish the regular season with the return trip to Louisville on Feb. 25.
The Bearcats return starting juniors Anne Stephens and Micah Harvey from last year?s squad, as well as three second-year players who were among C-USA?s top freshmen scorers last year. The first look at the team will come on Friday, Oct. 15 at Skyline Chili Bearcat Midnight Madness at Fifth Third Arena.
SCHEDULE NOTES
? Cincinnati's 2004-05 opponents compiled a 442-323 record in 2003-04 for a .578 winning percentage.
? The Bearcats play eight teams ranked in the top 50 of the final 2003-04 RPI ratings and 12 in the top 100.
? UC plays 14 times against teams which advanced to postseason play last season. The Bearcats face seven NCAA Tournament teams: DePaul, Houston, Loyola Marymount, Marquette, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee State and TCU. UC also has six games against WNIT participants Charlotte, Louisville, Memphis, USF and Xavier and hosts North Dakota State, who reached the NCAA Division II regionals and is making the move to Division I.
? Cincinnati opens its home season against Detroit on Nov. 21. The Bearcats have won their last eight home openers.
? The Bearcats will appear at least three times on television. WXIX-TV in Cincinnati will broadcast the Dec. 11 Crosstown Shootout against Xavier. The Jan. 23 game vs. TCU and the Jan. 30 contest at Memphis are part of the C-USA Television Network syndicated package. The C-USA Tournament semifinals will also appear on C-USA TV and the finals on ESPN2.
? UC will face first-time opponents Alabama State and North Dakota State.
? Of UC?s 26 opponents, 13 return at least nine letterwinners from last year and seven teams return at least four starters.