HAMMOND – A home game versus Alabama, trips to LSU, Ole Miss and Houston, as well as a tough 16-game Southland Conference schedule highlight the 2008-09 Southeastern Louisiana women’s basketball schedule, which was released Wednesday.
The Lady Lions return four starters and eight letterwinners from last season’s squad, which finished 12-17 overall and fell just short of a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament. Southeastern, which featured 10 newcomers on the roster a season ago, will feature a more experienced lineup in 2008-09, bolstered by new faces
Quantae Thomas,
Kim Edmonson and
Kelli Jenkins in the backcourt.
Honorable mention All-SLC forward
Kristy Carlin is back to lead a solid group of veterans, which includes returning starters
Rachel Mackie,
Chelsea Hix and
Bethany Sinclair, as well as top reserves
Zevy Ivory,
Charinee Mitchell and
Adonna Weaver.
Southeastern head coach
Lori Davis Jones is hopeful that a challenging non-conference schedule will prepare her squad for the battles of Southland Conference play.
“We have a very challenging, balanced non-conference schedule,” Jones commented. “With three SEC schools on the schedule, we feel that we’ll have a good idea of where we are as a team heading into conference play. We have to use those out of conference games to prepare us for what is going to be a tough Southland season.”
Southeastern opens the 2008-09 season on the road, facing Houston on Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. The eight-game non-conference home schedule is highlighted by the Jan. 3 contest with Alabama, as the Lady Lions will welcome the Crimson Tide for a 3 p.m. contest.
Other non-conference road games for the upcoming season include trips to LSU (Dec. 18), Ole Miss (Dec. 4), UNO (Nov. 18) and Centenary (Nov. 29). In addition to Alabama, Southeastern will host non-conference foe North Florida in the home opener on Nov. 22, as well as Stetson (Nov. 25), William Carey (Dec. 2), Southern (Dec. 16), Savannah State (Dec. 21), Alcorn State (Dec. 30) and Millsaps (Jan. 6).
Southeastern will open its conference schedule at home on Jan. 10, hosting defending SLC East Division champion Lamar, which is making the switch to the SLC West this season. The Lady Lions will also host Sam Houston State (Jan. 17), Central Arkansas (Jan. 28), Texas State (Feb. 4), Nicholls State (Feb. 14), new SLC East member Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 21), McNeese State (March 4) and Northwestern State (March 7) during league play. The March 7 game will also be Senior Day at the University Center.
Southeastern opens up its SLC road schedule at Northwestern State on Jan. 14. The Lady Lions’ league slate also includes trips to McNeese State (Jan. 21), Stephen F. Austin (Jan. 24), Nicholls State (Jan. 31), UTSA (Feb. 7), UT Arlington (Feb. 18), A&M-Corpus Christi (Feb. 25) and Central Arkansas (Feb. 28). The top eight teams in the league standings will advance to the Southland Conference Tournament, which will once again be held in the Merrill Center in Katy Texas on March 11-14.
Basketball season tickets are available by calling the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-LION (5466). Fans can download a season ticket brochure at www.LionSports.net.
New for season ticket holders in 2008-09 will be the opportunity to purchase courtside seats in the “Top Cat Club.” The Top Cat Club will feature two rows of courtside seats that are inches from the action. For more information, contact the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-LION (5466).
Southeastern will open practice next Friday in preparation for the Nov. 14 season opener at Houston.
2008-09 Southeastern Louisiana Women’s Basketball Schedule
NOVEMBER
14, at Houston, 5:30 p.m.; 18, at UNO, 7 p.m.; 22, NORTH FLORIDA, 3 p.m.; 25, STETSON, 6 p.m.; 29, at Centenary, 12 p.m.
DECEMBER
2, WILLIAM CAREY, 7 p.m.; 4, at Ole Miss, 11 a.m.; 16, SOUTHERN, 5:30 p.m.; 18, at LSU, 7 p.m.; 21, SAVANNAH STATE, 3 p.m.; 30, ALCORN STATE, 7 p.m.
JANUARY
3, ALABAMA, 3 p.m.; 6, MILLSAPS, 7 p.m.; 10, LAMAR*, 3 p.m.; 14, at Northwestern State*, 7 p.m.; 17, SAM HOUSTON STATE*, 3 p.m.; 21, at McNeese State*, 7 p.m.; 24, at Stephen F. Austin*, 6 p.m.; 28, CENTRAL ARKANSAS*, 7 p.m., 31, at Nicholls State*, 2 p.m.
FEBRUARY
4, TEXAS STATE*, 7 p.m.; 7, at UTSA*, 2 p.m.; 14, NICHOLLS STATE*, 3 p.m.; 18, at UT Arlington*, 7 p.m.; 21, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN*, 3 p.m.; 25, at A&M-Corpus Christi*, 7 p.m.; 28, at Central Arkansas*, 4 p.m.
MARCH
4, MCNEESE STATE*, 7 p.m.; 7, NORTHWESTERN STATE*#, 3 p.m. 11-14, at Southland Conference Tournament$, TBA
All times Central (CST) and subject to change
Home games in ALL CAPS
* - Southland Conference contest
# - Senior Day
$ - Katy, Texas