Indiana University Athletics
IU Announces 2005-06 Non-Conference Schedule
7/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
July 8, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. .-- The 2005-06 Indiana women's basketball schedule will be highlighted by a home-opener against 2005 NCAA Champion, the Baylor Lady Bears, five teams that advanced to post-season play (four NCAA, one WNIT), and three Big East opponents.
The Hoosiers will be put to the test early when they face Baylor on Saturday, Nov. 19, following the IU vs. Purdue football game. Indiana and Baylor, who finished No. 5 in final 2005 poll, will meet for the second-straight year, as the Lady Bears handed IU a 60-47 loss in Waco last season. It marks only the second time in IU history that the Hoosiers will play the national champion from the previous season. The last time this happened was in 2000, when Indiana played the 1999 NCAA champion, Purdue.
IU will also have a tough match up in in-state foe Notre Dame, another NCAA participant on Wednesday, Nov. 23. The meeting between the two squads will be the first since the 1996-97 season, with Notre Dame holding a 5-3 advantage over IU in the all-time series. The Fighting Irish finished the 2005 season with a No. 15 ranking overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Cream and Crimson will look to capture its sixth-straight home tournament title when it hosts the Hampton Inn Classic on Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 26. Indiana will face Youngstown State in Friday's game and take on either 2005 Mid-American Conference champion and NCAA participant, Bowling Green, or IUPUI on for the championship/consolation game set for Saturday.
After opening up the season with four-straight home games, which marks the first time Indiana has done so since the 1996-97 season, the Hoosiers will then hit the road for five-consecutive away games.
Of these road games, Indiana head coach Sharon Versyp says the Hoosiers' match ups with newly inducted Big East opponents, Louisville (Sunday, Dec. 4) and Cincinnati (Saturday, Dec. 17) are highly anticipated.
"In my first season as head coach I am looking forward to increasing our fan base," Versyp said. "By playing programs such as Louisville and Cincinnati, we hope to get some fans to travel to these regional areas to come out and support us."
Indiana leads the all-time series with both the Cardinals (7-2) and the Bearcats (4-2). The Hoosiers and Cardinals met up in 2004 with the Cream and Crimson claiming a 61-57 victory, while the Hoosiers and Bearcats have not played each other since the 1998-99 season.
Eastern Michigan, a 2005 Women's National Invite Tournament (WNIT) participant, is one of four teams the Hoosiers will face for the second year in a row when they square off in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Wednesday, Dec 7.
In addition its contest with the Eagles, IU will go up against Belmont on Tuesday, Nov. 29 in Nashville, and will play host to Boston University on Saturday, Dec. 10.
Finally, the Hoosiers will host Peach Belt Conferences' North Florida for the first meeting between the two teams in their final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
"I am very excited about this upcoming schedule," Versyp said. "I think it is very balanced. The first two games against Baylor and Notre Dame will serve as a great measuring stick to see where we are as a team. We will be able to tell a lot about this team after those two games."
The 2005-06 Big Ten schedule will be released at a later date.
All of the Indiana women's basketball games can be heard locally on WHCC (105.1) with Jeremy Gray calling all of the action. For more information on purchasing tickets, call 1-866-IUSPORTS.
Below is the non-conference 2005-06 schedule for Indiana: BOLD indicates home games
NOVEMBER
4-Friday-TBD-Reebok Lady Stars (exhibition)
12-Saturday-TBD-Brescia University (exhibition)
19-Saturday-TBD-Baylor
23-Wednesday-7:00 pm-Notre Dame
Hampton Inn Classic
25-Friday-4:30 pm-IUPUI vs. Bowling Green State
7:00 pm-INDIANA vs. Youngstown State
26-Saturday-4:30 pm-Consolation
7:00-pm-Championship
29-Tuesday-TBD-at Belmont
DECEMBER
2-Friday-TBD-at Southern Illinois
4-Sunday TBD-at Louisville
7-Wednesday-TBD-at Eastern Michigan
10-Saturday-2:00 pm-Boston University
17-Saturday-TBD-at Cincinnati
20-Tuesday-7:00 pm-North Florida
