Women's Basketball | 9/12/2018 12:27:00 PM
MONMOUTH, Ore.—Featuring a pair of out-of-state tournaments to open the season, the Western Oregon University women's basketball team announced its 2018-19 schedule on Wednesday.
The Wolves will open the season with two contests at the Cal State East Bay Conference Challenge on Nov. 9-10 with a battle against the host Pioneers first on the docket. After playing the Academy of Art in the second game in Hayward, California, the Wolves will play two more road games after traveling to the Dixie State Tournament held in St. George, Utah on Nov. 16-17. In addition to playing Colorado Mesa, the Wolves will once again open play against the tourney hosts by facing Dixie State in the Friday matchup.
Playing their third straight weekend on the road, WOU will begin its GNAC slate at Saint Martin's on Nov. 29 and at Seattle Pacific on Dec. 1.
"Although it isn't ideal to be on the road for our first six games, sometimes that's the way it goes. Traveling early will give us extra opportunities to bond as a team and with seven new players, we'll need that time together," WOU head coach
Holli Howard-Carpenter said.
The Wolves will get their first chance on their home court against Northwest Christian University on Dec. 10 before entering their final non-conference test, a Dec. 19 home game against Notre Dame de Namur on Dec. 19.
"We open up GNAC play at St. Martin's which is where we left off last season so I'm excited to start with them. Despite roster and coaching changes throughout the conference, the GNAC will still be one of the toughest Division II conferences in the nation," Howard-Carpenter said. "There are no easy games on our schedule and it's a grind, especially in late January, early February. We finish with four home games and I think that will be key for us having a chance at making the tournament. I'm really looking forward to working with the group we brought in, they are hungry and working hard already."
WOU will have to wait until the New Year before entertaining its first conference foe as Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene will arrive in Monmouth on Jan. 3 and Jan. 5. The regular season will conclude at home on Saturday, March 2 against Saint Martin's.
The GNAC Tournament is slated for March 7-9 in Bellingham, Washington with Western Washington as this year's tournament host.
