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August 23,
2006 INDIANA STATE ANNOUNCES COMPLETE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State University, in conjunction with the Missouri Valley Conference, announced the complete women’s basketball schedule for 2006-07 today (August 23). The schedule features two home exhibitions, three non-conference home games and nine home contests against the traditional Missouri Valley Conference opponents. Indiana State will open the regular season at Big Ten foe Iowa on November 15. It will be the Sycamores’ first matchup against the Hawkeyes since 1983. The campaign continues on the road, taking on Arkansas-Pine Bluff (November 18), in the Sycamores’ first-ever matchup with the Golden Lions. The home portion of the schedule opens against Eastern Illinois on November 21. The two programs will meet for the 51st time on the hardwood, after not competing versus each other in 2005-06. The Sycamores then travel to face their second Big Ten opponent on the non-conference schedule in a trip to Michigan State (November 24). The Spartans made an appearance in the 2005 NCAA Final Four which was held in Indianapolis. ISU is winless in two tries versus MSU. Rounding out the non-conference schedule is a home date with Loyola-Chicago (November 28), and then a trip to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on Valparaiso as part of the 7th annual State Farm Hoosier Classic on December 2. ISU plays its final non-conference home game on December 6 versus Youngstown State, then travels to UW-Green Bay on December 9 as well as Toledo on December 17. The final two non-conference games of the year will take place in Nashville, Tenn., at the Vanderbilt Holiday Tournament on December 20 & 21. ISU opens against Longwood, then will face off against either the host Commodores or Lipsomb on the tournament’s second day. “I think we’ve put together a very challenging non-conference schedule,” Wiedie commented. “Anytime you get the opportunity to play Big Ten and SEC teams like Iowa, Michigan State and Vanderbilt, it’s a plus for your program. In addition, we go to Wisconsin-Green Bay, Toledo and Valparaiso. Our young players will get tested early and often during the non-conference portion of our schedule. This should help prepare us for MVC play.” Conference play starts off with a bang, as the Sycamores host Drake on December 29. The Bulldogs were the only MVC team to defeat the Sycamores at Hulman Center last season, while finishing as the league’s runner-up in 2006. The season will end the same way as the Sycamores must go to the Knapp Center for the regular season finale on March 3. Following the first outing against Drake, the Sycamores stay at home to take on Creighton in a New Year’s Eve matinee. After road contests at Evansville (January 4) and Southern Illinois (January 6), ISU welcomes Missouri State (January 11), Wichita State (January 13) and Illinois State (January 20) to town for a season-long, three-game homestand. Indiana State makes the Bradley (January 25) and Northern Iowa (January 27) roadswing during the final week of January. The Sycamores will face off against the Panthers in the newly constructed McLeod Center for the first time. Following the trip to Iowa, the Sycamores return home to face Dana Eikenburg and Southern Illinois (February 2), as well as Evansville (February 4) In mid-February the Sycamores embark on a three-game roadswing that includes a trip to Missouri State (February 8), Wichita State (February 10) and Illinois State (February 18). The Sycamores will face off against UNI (February 23) as well as Bradley (February 25) during the MVC’s Wildcard TV weekend, before finishing the year at Creighton (March 1) and Drake (March 3). After a short time home, the Sycamores will return to Des Moines, Iowa for the 2007 State Farm MVC Tournament on March 8-11. “The most intriguing part of the MVC schedule is the opportunity to face off against Drake in the first and last games of the year,” Wiedie said. “I expect them to be the league’s preseason favorite, so we look forward to having the chance to play them right out of the gate. Our young team will get to play five of their first seven conference games at home, so we hope to get them adjusted to that high level of play early because we spend most of the second half on the road.” ISU will host a pair of exhibition contests on November 4 versus St. Joseph’s (Ind.) as well as Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (November 8). Preliminary plans are also being put together to host an open scrimmage Friday, October 13 at Hulman Center. October 13 is the earliest date a team can open preseason practice.
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