Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Announces Women's Basketball Schedule
7/28/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
July 28, 1999
1999-2000 Schedule
MILWAUKEE - Marquette University announced its 1999-2000 women's basketball schedule today. The Golden Eagles play a 27-game slate that includes a trip to the 1999 Oregon State University Classic and 13 home games. Marquette will face nine teams that advanced to postseason tournaments this past spring, including four which earned NCAA Tournament bids.
The four NCAA Tournament teams featured as part of this year's schedule are Cincinnati (two games), Louisville (two games), Notre Dame and Tulane. Three of the final four Postseason WNIT teams dot the schedule: Drake, Memphis and Wisconsin. Arkansas State and Brigham Young, both of which return to the schedule after several years, also participated in last seasons WNIT.
"With Conference USA being the strongest it has ever been, this season's schedule is the best in the history of the program," Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell said. "The non-conference schedule covers the national scope, with teams coming from 10 different conferences, and will prepare us for the rigorous Conference USA season. As we've improved our standing on the national scene, these types of teams have wanted to play us, and it's these types of teams which will get us ready as we shoot for the Conference USA championship and to advance in the NCAA Tournament."
Mitchell's Golden Eagles open the season at home in the Milwaukee Arena against Big Ten foe Iowa on Friday, Nov. 19. They hit the road for the first time on Monday, Nov. 22, facing Drake in Des Moines. Other highlights of the non-conference road schedule include a trip to Corvallis, Ore., for the OSU Classic, which features host Oregon State, Idaho State and Pacific, and games against crosstown rival UW-Milwaukee and Big East schools Syracuse and perennially-ranked Notre Dame. In-state rival Wisconsin comes to the Milwaukee Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The remainder of the home non-conference schedule showcases Marquette against Dayton, Brigham Young and Arkansas State.
Marquette hosts DePaul on Thursday, Dec. 30, for the opening of its Conference USA schedule. C-USA American Division rivals Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, UNC Charlotte and Saint Louis, and National Division foes UAB, South Florida and Houston come to Milwaukee as part of the conference schedule. The Marquette/Tulane showdown in New Orleans on Saturday, January 5, is tentatively scheduled to be broadcast nationally on espn2. The University of Louisville plays host to the 1999 C-USA Tournament on March 3-6 in the Cardinals Freedom Hall.
"As we saw last year, any team in this league can beat you on any given night," Mitchell said. "There's not an automatic 'W' on the schedule once we hit the Conference USA season. But we have an experienced squad led by three seniors (Lisa Oldenburg, Kiesha Oliver and Abbie Willenborg) who know what it takes to be successful at this level and who look forward to the big games. Well have our share of those this season."
The 19th Annual NCAA Tournament opens on March 17-18, 2000. The Finals will be held on March 31 and April 2, 2000, in Philadelphia's First Union Center.
The regular-season schedule will be preceded by a two-game exhibition slate, as the Golden Eagles tip-off the season with the Basketball Travelers on Nov. 6, and then host Athletes In Action on Nov. 10. Marquette will prepare for the 1999-2000 season with a five-game, 12-day trip through Sweden in mid-August.
All of the Golden Eagles games this season are currently scheduled to be played at the Milwaukee Arena. For ticket information contact the Marquette University Athletic Ticket Office at (414) 288-7127.
