WNIT Highlights Strong Non-Conference Schedule for Huskers

Lincoln - The Nebraska women’s basketball team’s appearance in the 2004 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament will highlight a rugged non-conference schedule that could include games against as many as nine postseason teams during the 2004-05 season.

Third-year head coach Connie Yori released Nebraska’s non-conference schedule on Friday after the WNIT pairings were announced on Thursday afternoon.

"Potentially, more than half of our non-conference games are going to come against teams that played in the postseason last year, so it is going to be anything but easy for us," Yori said. "Obviously, being in the Preseason WNIT is a great opportunity for our team to play some quality competition. Ohio State, North Carolina State, Creighton, Louisville and Memphis will give us more postseason-caliber competition during the rest of our non-conference season."

The Huskers finished the 2003-04 season with an 18-12 overall record after closing the Big 12 Conference season with a 7-9 mark to tie for seventh place. The Big 12 sent nine teams to postseason play last year with seven teams in the 64-team NCAA Tournament and two more, including Nebraska, in the 32-team Postseason WNIT field.

Nine of the 15 other teams in the Preseason WNIT finished among the top 100 teams in the country last season according to the WBCA/Summerville RPI rankings, while five of the 11 teams on Nebraska’s regular non-conference schedule finished 2003-04 among the top 52 RPI teams in the nation.

The Huskers, who are scheduled to open practice on Oct. 16, will play their first exhibition game against Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. NU will close exhibition play against Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 7 in Lincoln, before opening the regular season against Western Illinois in the first round of the Preseason WNIT at the Devaney Center on Friday, Nov. 12.

If the Huskers can advance past Western Illinois in the first round, the next three rounds of competition in the Preseason WNIT could feature matchups against 2004 postseason teams, including Notre Dame, Duke, Ohio State, Arizona, South Florida, Middle Tennessee State, Saint Joseph’s and Rice. The second round of the tournament is set for Nov. 14, while the semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 17. The championship game will be played either Nov. 20 or 21. All games will be played at home sites to be determined after the completion of each round.

The Huskers are scheduled to play Northern Colorado on Friday, Nov. 19 at the Devaney Center, in what was originally slated to be NU’s home opener before its invitation to the WNIT. Nebraska will also play host to Washington State at the Devaney Center on Monday, Nov. 22.

The Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, will give the Huskers two more matchups against 2004 postseason competitors. NU will open the four-team tournament against North Carolina State on Friday, Nov. 26. The Wolfpack earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Huskers will face either NCAA Tournament-qualifier Hampton or 2004 postseason WNIT participant Louisville on Saturday, Nov. 27.

After squaring off against Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 1) and Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 7) at the Devaney Center, the Huskers will hit the road for a pair of tough tests. The Huskers will take on Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Dec. 11, before battling 2004 Postseason WNIT champion Creighton in Omaha on Dec. 18. NU defeated a top-25 Ohio State squad, 60-55 in Lincoln last year, before the Buckeyes advanced to the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. NU also defeated Creighton at the Devaney Center last season, before the Bluejays went on to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference race and win the WNIT crown.

Nebraska will wrap up its non-conference schedule at home by battling the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette on Monday, Dec. 20, before taking on 2004 Postseason WNIT participant Memphis on Thursday, Dec. 30.

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