Owls Face Top-Notch Schedule in Women's Hoops
9/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sept. 7, 2006
Houston -
Rice's 2006-07 women's basketball schedule, announced Thursday, features nine opponents that competed in the NCAA Championships or Women's National Invitation Tournament last season.
Second-year head coach Greg Williams led his Owls to an 18-14 record and a berth in the Women's National Invitation Tournament in his first year, and the team will take on WNIT champions Kansas State and runners-up Marquette, as well as NCAA tourney teams from Texas A&M, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and TCU. The Owls will also go up against WNIT teams from Florida International, Idaho State and Ole Miss.
A trip to New Jersey opens the regular season, with games at Monmouth on Nov. 10 and Rider on Nov. 12. The home opener against Ole Miss on Nov. 17 pits the Owls against one of the top teams in the SEC, with one of the top players in the nation in guard Armintie Price.
Two more tough home games against Texas A&M and Marquette highlight the weekend of Dec. 1-3, while the Gene Hackerman Invitational tournament at Autry Court on Dec. 8-9 features teams from Idaho State, Alcorn State and Kent State.
In post-Christmas action, Rice takes on WNIT champs Kansas State Dec. 28 in the first round of the Florida International tournament in Miami.
Rice finished second in the 2005-06 Conference USA regular-season standings at 11-5, and was edged by Tulsa in the conference tournament championship game. The Owls host the Golden Hurricane on Jan. 27 at Autry Court.
The Owls open league play at Houston Jan. 2, and the return match-up at Autry on Jan. 21 will be televised by ESPN. Houston won both regular-season games last year before the Owls came up trumps at the C-USA tournament.
Tulsa will host the C-USA tournament next March, with the winner claiming the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
