Women's Basketball Announces 2010-11 Slate
8/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
2010-11 Women's Basketball Schedule
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Road trips to Mississippi State and Ohio State and 20 Atlantic Sun Conference games highlight the USC Upstate women's basketball schedule, released today by head coach Tammy George.
The Spartans enter their fourth season of Division I play and
it will be the final of provisional status as Upstate will be fully
eligible for A-Sun and NCAA postseason play beginning with the
2011-12 academic year. Upstate has increased its win total
each season in D-I, winning 13 games in 2008-09, which was an eight
win improvement compared to the first season of D-I play
(2007-08). A season ago, the Spartans finished third in the
A-Sun after winning 20 games for the first time since the 1994-95
campaign.
"We had a great year last year and I look forward to what this group can accomplish this season," said George. "We have a tough schedule ahead of us this year, Mississippi State and Ohio State both advanced in the NCAA Tournament. ETSU and Florida Gulf Coast are always at the top of the league. Our team has to go out and give it everything they have each and every night. We must come ready to play."
The Spartans, who will hit the road for their first four contests of the season, will tip-off the season in Starkville, Miss., against Mississippi State on Fri., Nov. 12. Last season, the Bulldogs finished 21-13 overall and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Upstate will then travel to Marshall to face the Thundering
Herd on Wed., Nov. 17. Following the trip to Huntington,
W.Va., the Spartans will face a pair of regional rivals.
Coach George and the Spartans will travel to UNC Asheville on
Tues., Nov. 23 and return to action after Thanksgiving break at
Presbyterian College on Thurs., Dec. 2.
The Spartans will kick-off the home portion of its schedule
when they host conference foe ETSU in the first home game in the
newly renovated Hodge Center. The Spartans and Bucs will
tangle on Sat., Dec. 4. Last season, the Spartans knocked off
the Bucs in Spartanburg 85-78, thanks to Chelsea McMillan's
double-double (31 points, 11 rebounds) and 20 points by Kendra
Wallace.
Upstate will break for exams before a four-game, eight-day
stretch prior to the Christmas break. The Spartans will
square off with Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind. on Sun., Dec. 12
before traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on Dec.
14. In 2009-10, the Buckeyes advanced to the second round of
the NCAA Tournament.
Following the Midwest swing, the Spartans will return to the
Hodge Center, beginning with a conference match against Campbell
University on Thurs., Dec. 16. Two days later, Radford
University will travel to Spartanburg for a non-conference
matchup.
"We have a tough portion of our schedule between exams and the
holidays," added George. "Indiana State and Ohio State
are extremely talented clubs. Then, following that up with
games against A-Sun member Campbell and then Radford, our team will
have to truly battle. But, in the long run, it will benefit
our team once we get into the mix of our conference
schedule."
After the game against Radford, Upstate will take nearly two
weeks off before returning to the court to face its fourth and
final Big South Conference member of the season. Upstate will
entertain cross-state foe Coastal Carolina on Thurs., Dec.
30.
After the calendar flips to 2011, Upstate will hit the road
for a pair of conference games in the state of Georgia. The
Spartans will take on Kennesaw State (Jan. 3) and Mercer (Jan.
5).
Stetson (Jan. 8) and Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 10) will be on
the slate next for Upstate. The Spartans defeated FGCU and
Stetson to close out the 2009-10 season and secured the 20-win
campaign.
The Spartans will then travel to the River City to face the
next two conference opponents. Upstate will face the North
Florida on Sat., Jan. 15, before squaring off against Jacksonville
two days later.
Upstate will return to Spartanburg for a three-game homestand
beginning on Wed., Jan. 19 against Longwood. After the final
non-conference game of the season, the Spartans will entertain
A-Sun members Belmont (Jan. 22) and Lipscomb (Jan. 24).
Upstate will then travel to Johnson City, Tenn. during the
midweek to face ETSU on Wed., Jan. 26. The Spartans will then
entertain Mercer for Homecoming on Sat., Jan. 29. Following
the game with the Bears, Kennesaw State will then arrive in
Spartanburg for a matchup on Mon., Jan. 31.
Upstate will play a total of seven games in the month of
February, five of which will be road games. Upstate will
begin the month with a trip to the sunshine state to face FGCU
(Feb. 5) and Stetson (Feb. 7). The Spartans return home for
the final two home games of the campaign against Jacksonville and
North Florida. Upstate and Jacksonville will faceoff on Feb.
12, while Upstate and North Florida will battle on Valentine's
Day.
The Spartans will head to the Music City for games at Belmont
(Feb. 19) and at Lipscomb (Feb. 21). After the Nashville
swing, Upstate will make its final trip of the season to Buies
Creek, N.C. Campbell will move to the Big South after this
season, making the Saturday matinee on Feb. 26, the final
conference game between the Spartans and the Camels.
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