Coming off a record-setting season which included the program’s first national championship, the Texas A&M women’s basketball team looks to continue its strong postseason tradition with yet another challenging schedule for the upcoming 2011-12 campaign.
The slate is one of the toughest in school history as 18 of the Aggies’ 20 opponents advanced to postseason play a year ago, including 13 teams that reached the NCAA Tournament and five that participated in the Postseason WNIT.
“The opportunities we’ve had since winning a national championship have allowed us to play some of the best programs across the country,” said A&M head coach Gary Blair, who enters his ninth season in Aggieland. “We continue to play the top teams to challenge and position ourselves well for postseason play.”
Before its first marquee matchup of the season against perennial power and 2011 Sweet 16 participant Louisville on Nov. 15 at Reed Arena, Texas A&M hosts Lamar in its season opener scheduled for Nov. 11. The Aggies will put their home court success to the test with 14 regular season contests at Reed Arena. A&M has registered an unprecedented 82-8 (.911) record at home over the last six years and saw fan support spike to an all-time high with the 12th-best attendance in the nation last season.
The Aggies’ home slate will also feature non-conference tilts with Mississippi State as part of the Super Six Shootout on Nov. 20, WNIT runner-up USC on Dec. 18 and Southland Conference champion McNeese State on Dec. 30.
Highlighting the non-conference schedule will be a much-anticipated showdown against seven-time national champion and 2011 Final Four participant Connecticut in the Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic televised live by ESPN2 on Dec. 6. Prior to their national exposure, the Aggies will take a tropical trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam Nov. 24-25. The Aggies will face Temple and either Iowa or St. Johns. All three teams were selected to the NCAA Championship last year.
Texas A&M’s non-conference road trips also include UALR on Nov. 17, Purdue in the Big 12/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge on Dec. 4 and TCU on Dec. 10.
“We’re looking forward to getting our Dallas – Ft. Worth kids back home when we play TCU,” Blair said. “We had great success in Dallas last year to earn our first trip to the Final Four and we look forward to returning to the area.
The rigorous Big 12 Conference schedule opens on Jan. 4 with a road game at Kansas State and features a new double round robin format consisting of 18 games with conference members playing each other twice. The team(s) that finishes with the best winning percentage in league games will be crowned the Big 12 regular season champion.
The Aggies’ conference home opener is against Oklahoma on Jan. 8 and follows with the first edition of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown against Texas on Jan. 11. Additional home dates include Missouri on Jan. 18, Iowa State on Jan. 29, Kansas on Feb. 4, Kansas State on Feb. 8, Oklahoma State on Feb. 18 and Texas Tech on Feb. 21. A&M’s final regular season home game of the year is against Baylor on Monday, Feb. 27.
The 2012 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship will be held March 7-10 in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.
Texas A&M hosts the NCAA Championship First and Second Rounds March 17 and 19 at Reed Arena in College Station.
The Aggies return three starters – Sydney Carter, Adaora Elonu and Tyra White – and 10 letterwinners from its national championship squad. Sophomore Kelsey Bone and newcomers Rachel Mitchell, Tori Scott and Alexia Standish will see their first action in the maroon and white this season.
“It’s expected of us to live up to the national championship year and continue to play one of the hardest schedules in the country because people expect more out of a national champion,” Blair said. “We’ve already seen a significant increase in the amount of season ticket holders and we hope to see even more Aggie fans at home and on the road this season.”
Women’s basketball season tickets can be purchased by calling the 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at 1-888-99-AGGIE (888-992-4443) or 979-845-2311 or online at www.12thmanfoundation.com orAggieAthletics.com and click on tickets.
Televised games and game times will be announced at a later date.