Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Announces 2008-09 Women's Basketball Schedule
September 04, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Sept. 4, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball program has announced the 2008-09 schedule. Head coach Curt Miller and the Falcons, in their quest for a fifth consecutive Mid-American Conference regular-season title and national postseason berth, will play 13 regular-season games inside Anderson Arena this winter.
This season will mark the second time in three years that the Falcons play 13 regular-season contests at Anderson. BGSU has not played more regular-season contests at "The House That Roars" since the 1990-91 campaign.
"We are excited about our schedule for this season," said Miller, who enters his eighth year at the BGSU helm. "Our non-conference schedule will provide some tough tests for our young team, but will offer the opportunity for growth as we prepare for the Mid-American Conference schedule.
"We are particularly pleased about having five home non-conference games, including four in a row before our home fans during the month of December. I am also excited that we have renewed some regional rivalries to allow us to play some local teams. In fact, we will not leave the state of Ohio during the entire month of December."
The non-conference schedule includes three games against teams that advanced to national postseason play a year ago, and three games vs. successful Atlantic 10 Conference programs. After a pair of exhibitions at Anderson, the Falcons will head to Philadelphia to open the year against Temple on Nov. 14, to complete the home-and-home series after the Falcons' 86-67 win over the Owls two years ago (Nov. 24, 2006). The Owls played in the NCAA Championships for the fifth-straight season in 2008.
After a trip to Valparaiso (Nov. 19), the Brown and Orange will begin the home schedule with a Nov. 22 game vs. Lipscomb. The teams had never met prior to last season, but have the chance to play three times in a 13-month span.
BGSU ends November with three games away from home in a five-day span. A game at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 25 is followed by a trip to Greensboro, N.C. - the site of the Falcons' "Sweet 16" game in March of 2007. This time, the Brown and Orange will play a pair of games in the UNCG Marriott Classic (Nov. 28-29), including a game against the host school, UNC-Greensboro, on the second day.
December, as mentioned, begins with no fewer than four consecutive games at Anderson, the Falcons' longest homestand in the Miller Era. The last four-game homestand came in February of 2000.
This year, BGSU begins December by hosting Detroit (Dec. 3) and Youngstown State (Dec. 6), before meeting St. Bonaventure (Dec. 14) and Hartford (Dec. 21). St. Bonaventure set a school record for wins at the Division-I level last season, going 18-12, and the Bonnies led the Falcons for nearly the entire 40 minutes in last season's meeting in Anderson Arena, before BG rallied for an exciting 68-61 win (Nov. 24, 2007).
Hartford boasts the most 2007-08 victories of any team on BGSU's 08-09 schedule. A 28-win team a year ago, the Hawks advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships.
Following the Christmas holiday, the Falcons will head down I-75 to take part in the Dayton Flyer Classic (Dec. 28-29). In that tourney, the Brown and Orange will have a rematch of some sort in the second round. BG's Dec. 29 opponent will either be Lipscomb or the host school, Dayton. A date with the former would be the second meeting with the Lady Bisons in just over a month, while a game vs. the latter would be a rematch of last year's first-round game in the WNIT, won by the Falcons.
As the New Year dawns, BGSU will open 2009 and close the non-league schedule with a trip to Illinois to face SIU-Edwardsville (Jan. 2). Then, BG begins the quest for five-straight conference regular-season titles, as the 16-game MAC schedule commences.
That conference schedule, as in recent seasons, will see the Falcons play two games against each of the five other East Division schools, while facing each of the six West Division squads once apiece.
The Brown and Orange will open the league slate with five intra-divisional games, before facing the West Division, then concluding the season with five more matchups vs. the East.
BGSU's initial East Division swing will see the Falcons conclude a five-game road swing, beginning with the games in Dayton and the SIU-Edwardsville tilt. The Falcons will face Kent State (Feb. 7) and Ohio (Feb 10) on the road, with the latter contest a rematch of a 2008 MAC Tournament semifinal game. The Bobcats downed the Falcons in double overtime in Cleveland, snapping a string of three-straight MAC Tournament titles for Miller's club.
BGSU then plays three home games in a week's time, hosting Miami (Jan. 14), Akron (Jan. 17) and Buffalo (Jan. 21) at Anderson. Miami is the league's defending tourney titlist, downing OU in the championship game in March.
The six-game stretch against the West Division includes home contests vs. Ball State (Feb. 3), arch-rival Toledo (Feb. 12) and Central Michigan (Feb. 15), along with trips to Eastern Michigan (Jan. 24), Northern Illinois (Jan. 31) and Western Michigan (Feb. 7).
As part of the second sojourn through East Division, the Falcons will play back-to-back road games, vs. UA (Feb. 21) and UB (Feb. 25), before ending the month of February with a home game vs. KSU (Feb. 28). BG will travel to Miami (March 4) before closing the regular season at home vs. Ohio (March 7).
"This will be a challenging schedule for us, from start to finish," said Miller. "As a coaching staff, we are excited about watching our young team come together as the season progresses. Obviously, we want to win every time we take the court, but we certainly want to be playing our best basketball when March rolls around."
Miller and his staff return nine letterwinners, including three starters, from last season's club. The 2007-08 Falcons posted a 26-8 overall record and a 13-3 MAC regular-season mark, and advanced to the second round of the WNIT.
The '08-09 Falcons will play two exhibition games at Anderson, facing Findlay on Nov. 4 and the OGBR Legends on Nov. 8.
The complete 2008-09 schedule follows. For the most up-to-date schedule throughout the season, click the 'Schedule' link on the women's basketball page, or consult the Monthly Athletic Calendar here at BGSUFalcons.com.
BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
2008-09 SCHEDULE
NOVEMBER
Tue., 4...........FINDLAY (Exhibition) Sat., 8...........OGBR LEGENDS (Exhibition) Fri., 14..........at Temple Wed., 19..........at Valparaiso Sat., 22..........LIPSCOMB Tue., 25..........at Saint Francis (Pa.) Fri., 28..........vs. Winston-Salem State & Sat., 29..........at UNC-Greensboro &
DECEMBER
Wed., 3...........DETROIT Sat., 6...........YOUNGSTOWN STATE Sun., 14..........ST. BONAVENTURE Sun., 21..........HARTFORD Sun., 28..........vs. Gardner Webb % Mon., 29..........vs. Lipscomb/at Dayton %
JANUARY
Fri., 2...........at SIU-Edwardsville Wed., 7...........at Kent State * Sat., 10..........at Ohio * Wed., 14..........MIAMI * Sat., 17..........AKRON * Wed., 21..........BUFFALO * Sat., 24..........at Eastern Michigan * Sat., 31..........at Northern Illinois *
FEBRUARY
Tue., 3...........BALL STATE * Sat., 7...........at Western Michigan * Thu., 12..........TOLEDO * Sun., 15..........CENTRAL MICHIGAN * Sat., 21..........at Akron * Wed., 25..........at Buffalo * Sat., 28..........KENT STATE *
MARCH
Wed., 4...........at Miami * Sat., 7...........OHIO * TBA...............MAC Tournament First Round ^ TBA...............MAC Tournament Quarterfinals ^ TBA...............MAC Tournament Semifinals ^ TBA...............MAC Tournament Championship ^HOME games at Anderson Arena * Mid-American Conference game & UNCG Marriott Classic (Greensboro, N.C.) % Dayton Flyer Classic (Dayton, Ohio) ^ Dates and site(s) TBA
