SIUE Women's Basketball Schedule Announced

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Cougar women's basketball fans will have an exciting slate of games at the Vadalabene Center this season that includes 13 regular season home contests.

The SIUE women's basketball schedule includes eight games in Ohio Valley Conference play. SIUE's nonconference home schedule includes games with Purdue (Nov. 17), Western Illinois (Nov. 19), Sacramento State (Dec. 5), IPFW (Dec. 8), and SIU Carbondale (Dec. 21).

SIUE opens the 2012-13 season against Lewis University in an exhibition contest Nov. 2 at the Vadalabene Center.

Head Coach Paula Buscher said her team's schedule has a great variety that will test a team that finished 18-12 last season and earned a postseason berth in the Women's Basketball Invitational.

"We have a very challenging nonconference schedule including teams from eight different conferences. This will allow us to see several different teams to prepare us for the rigors of the OVC," said Buscher.

The list of conferences includes the Big Ten, Missouri Valley, Big Sky, Summit League, Horizon League, SEC, Conference USA, and Mid-American. It also is possible SIUE could face a team from the ACC and the Atlantic 10 in tournaments.

SIUE travels to Dallas, Texas, for the SMU Hoops for a Cure Classic. The Cougars open the tournament against host SMU Nov. 23. SIUE faces either Montana State or Clemson Nov. 24.

The Glass City Tournament features the Cougars against the host Toledo Rockets Dec. 1. The second day of the tournament pits the Cougars against either Southern or St. Bonaventure.

"The two back-to-back weekend tournaments will provide us with an exciting atmosphere similar to the OVC Tournament," Buscher said.

The OVC made a major addition with the inclusion of Belmont to the 2012-13 schedule. The 12-team league is now divided into a West and East Division.

SIUE will compete in the West Division with Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Southeast Missouri, and UT Martin. The Cougars play home-and-home contests with those five schools. SIUE has one game with each of the six members of the East Division – Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Tennessee State, and Tennessee Tech.

"Our ultimate goal is to compete for an OVC championship, and we feel we have put together a nonconference slate that will prepare us for the OVC schedule," added Buscher.

The OVC Championships take place March 6-9 in Nashville, Tenn. Eight teams will qualify for the OVC Championships.