Kansas University women’s basketball team will play 17 of its 29 games in its 2006-07 schedule against teams that participated in postseason play last season, KU officials announced Wednesday.
“We are excited about the upcoming season,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “We’ve scheduled a good balance of home, road and neutral site games and have really upgraded our non-conference schedule.”
The Jayhawks, who reached the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament last season, open this season with two exhibition games at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks will face Fort Hays State on Nov. 1 and Washburn on Nov. 5.
Kansas will open the regular season against Seton Hall in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association/Metro Sports Classic at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 11. KU will face either Iowa or Missouri State in its second game of the WBCA Classic the next day.
KU’s remaining non-conference schedule includes seven home games and four road contests. The Jayhawks home opener will be against UMKC Nov. 16. Kansas will play five home games during the month of December including contests against South Dakota State (Dec. 6), California (Dec. 10), Santa Clara (Dec. 17), Northern Illinois (Dec. 29) and Xavier on New Year’s Eve.
The Jayhawks road non-conference schedule consists of games against Creighton Nov. 20, Wisconsin Dec. 3 and Indiana Dec. 21.
“The non-conference schedule will test our young team,” Henrickson said. “We are anxious to see how we grow and are able to prepare for a tough Big 12 schedule.”
Kansas opens Big 12 play Jan. 3 in Ames, Iowa against Iowa State. KU will welcome the Baylor Bears to Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 6 in its Big 12 home opener.
The Jayhawks wrap up their regular season with road contests against Colorado Feb. 24 and Missouri March 1. The Cox Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., will host the Big 12 Championship March 6-10.
KU will play another non-conference home game on Nov. 26 against a yet to be determined opponent. Kansas Athletics will release those details when they become available.