Women's Basketball Announces 2003-04 Schedule

July 14, 2003

MILWAUKEE - The 2003-04 Marquette women's basketball season promises to be exciting. Fans of Marquette women's basketball will have the opportunity to see the team play at home 16 times, eight of which will come at the Al McGuire Center. Coming off a trip to the Women's National Invitation Tournament, head coach Terri Mitchell expects the schedule to offer several challenges and opportunities to showcase the team at home.

"We're going to have more home games than we've had in quite some time," Mitchell said. "Having a team that went to the NIT and with many so many home games, the schedule should be exciting for the Marquette community."

Including exhibition games, Marquette will go on just one road trip in its first nine outings. The Golden Eagles will open up against the Wisconsin AAU Vikings on November 9 and will play their second exhibition game on November 13. The Golden Eagles will play Drake in the regular season opener on November 22 at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

After a home game against Evansville on November 25, MU will take part in the Dead River Company Classic in Orono, Maine. MU will match up with Oakland on November 29 and will meet either Maine or Columbia the following day.

"We've heard nothing but great things about the Maine tournament," Mitchell added. "We try to travel to different parts of the country and this gives us the chance to get the Marquette name to the northeast."

MU follows up that tournament with three games in a row at home. The Golden Eagles have a rematch with Iowa on December 5 at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Marquette lost to the Hawkeyes by three points in the second round of the WNIT to wrap up the season in 2002-03. MU also meets Wagner on December 5 at the Arena and Virginia Commonwealth on December 14 at Wisconsin Lutheran Field House.

Marquette finishes the non-conference slate with four of the last seven on the road. MU has a two-game road trip which takes it to St. Bonaventure on December 18 and Toledo on December 20. MU beat Toledo in the first round of the WNIT last season to set up that rematch.

After a home game with Dayton on December 29 at the U.S. Cellular Arena, Marquette has its biggest non-conference test of the year with a January 1 match-up at Notre Dame.

The Golden Eagles will play their next four games in Milwaukee, including three at the Al McGuire Center. The facility will debut on Sunday, January 4 when Marquette will host Columbia.

"It's a dream come true for some many people, but especially for myself, to have the words 'Al McGuire Center' on the schedule," Mitchell said. "Having waited so long to play on campus, it's going to be exciting to be in the Al McGuire Center. Being in a building with Al McGuire's name is special. Playing in the same place where we will practice will create an advantage for our players."

A January 6 contest at Wis.-Milwaukee sandwiches the Columbia game with the first Conference USA contest. MU opens up its league slate at the Al McGuire Center on January 9 against Cincinnati. A January 11 game at the Al McGuire Center against Louisville will be broadcast by the C-USA Television Network to close the first weekend of league play.

"Our conference continues to get stronger," Mitchell added. "Five teams went to post season from this conference and most of the core of those teams are returning. We're in for some incredible battles."

The conference slate includes the traditional 14-game schedule, playing everyone once and DePaul a second time. Marquette will play at South Florida, UAB and East Carolina in January and will visit Charlotte, DePaul, TCU and Houston in February.

MU finishes January with games against Tulane and Southern Miss at the Al McGuire Center on the 23rd and 25th respectively. Marquette hosts Memphis and Saint Louis at the Al McGuire Center on Feb. 13 and 15. The Golden Eagles conclude the season at home, playing DePaul on Sunday, February 29 at the Al McGuire Center. That game is also broadcast on the C-USA Television Network.

"We know how tough this league is. We've set our goals high," Mitchell said. "We aim to be one of the top teams in Conference USA, but there's a lot of work we will have to do to achieve that."

The 2004 Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on the campus of TCU.

Click here for the 2003-04 Marquette Women's Basketball Schedule.