PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball team will face six postseason teams in the 2011-12 non-conference schedule, which was released by Head Coach Jeff Williams on Thursday. The Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule will be released at a later date.
A challenging non-conference schedule is highlighted by three NCAA teams and three WNIT teams, as well as a total of nine teams that finished with 16 or more wins last season and five with 20 or more.
"I'm really excited about the upcoming year,” Williams said. “We put together a very challenging schedule that will test our kids both mentally and physically. I think that will definitely prepare us for a very tough Atlantic 10 Conference.”
The Explorers kick off the 2011-12 campaign on Nov. 11, when they host WNIT participant Lehigh, which went 21-11 last season and tied for first in the Patriot League regular season standings. They head on the road next to New York, taking on Albany on Nov. 13 before heading to Queens to play Big East foe St. John's, which posted a 22-11 record en route to the NCAA Second Round.
The Explorers return home to play their second straight Big East opponent when they host Rutgers on Nov. 19. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the NCAA Second Round last season after finishing fourth in the Big East and going 20-13 overall. The team will stay at Gola Arena to host Big 5 rival Penn on Nov. 22.
The team will spend Thanksgiving on Long Island, playing in the LIU Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25-26. They face SEC opponent Florida for the second time in La Salle women's basketball history on Friday. The Gators posted a 20-win season last year en route to the WNIT. The Explorers play host Long Island on Saturday, which recorded a 19-11 record last year and is slated to play in this season's Preseason WNIT.
The Explorers stay on the road, heading to Morgantown, W.Va., on Nov. 30 to take on Big East foe West Virginia. The Mountaineers also advanced to the NCAA Second Round last season after posting a 23-9 record.
Williams' squad returns to Gola Arena for one game on Dec. 4, hosting another local rival and Big East opponent Villanova, before going back on the road. They head to Chicago on Dec. 8 to play Loyola-Chicago of the Horizon League.
Following a week lay-off for final exams, the team goes across town to Drexel on Dec. 19. The Dragons are coming off of a 19-win season and WNIT appearance, and are also slated for this season's Preseason WNIT.
A visit from Fairfield rounds out the home non-conference schedule on Dec. 22. The Stags went 17-13 last year to finish fifth in the Metro-Atlantic (MAAC).
After Christmas, the Explorers head north for a two-day tournament at Dartmouth on Dec. 29-30. They take on Vermont of the America East on Dec. 29 before playing host Dartmouth on the 30th. They remain in New England to finish out the non-conference schedule with a tilt at Northeastern on Jan. 2.
The 2012 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 2-5 at Saint Joseph's Hagan Arena. The Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
