Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Release 2006-07 Women's Basketball Schedule
8/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 17, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Headlined by national television games at 2006 NCAA Champion Maryland and Regional Semifinalists Rutgers, seventh-year head coach Joanne P. McCallie's Michigan State women's basketball program will face several tough challenges on the road towards its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, as the 2006-07 schedule was released on Thursday morning.
"It's another great schedule," McCallie said. "We always want to play the best to become the best. We want to challenge our team every time we hit the floor."
The schedule, besides the CBS game at Maryland's Comcast Center on Jan. 6 and the ESPN2 game at Rutgers on Jan. 28, also includes three other games with teams that reached the Sweet 16 last season. Final Four participant Louisiana State visits the Breslin Center on Dec. 17 for a 2 p.m. game and the team also faces Big 10 foe Purdue twice, at the Breslin Center on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. and in West Lafeyette, Ind. in the return game on Feb. 11.
The Spartans kick off the schedule with its first four games and seven of the first nine in the friendly confines of the Breslin Center, as well as two preseason games at Breslin. Division II National Champion Grand Valley State kicks off the preseason on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m and Ferris State (Nov. 12, 2 p.m.) also visits for an exhibition. Bucknell (Nov. 17, 7 p.m.), Texas-Arlington (Nov. 19, 7 p.m.), Hofstra (Nov. 22, 7 p.m.) and Indiana State (Nov. 24, 7 p.m.) kick off the season on the Spartans' home court.
"What I like about the early schedule is the home games," McCallie said. "It's a great opportunity to get our fans out to watch us play, and to get people back in the flow of women's basketball."
On Nov. 26, Michigan State hits the road for the first time as it travels to Houston for a 4 p.m. road game before returning home for games against Rhode Island (Nov. 29, 7 p.m.) and South Florida (Dec. 3, 2:30 p.m.). On Dec. 9, the Spartans will take the short trip to The Palace in Auburn Hills for a 12 p.m. contest with 2005 America East champ Hartford, who upset Temple in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Wrapping up the home swing, the Spartans welcome the Tigers into the Breslin Center on Dec. 17. The Spartans then hit the road during the week before Christmas, as they travel to UC Santa Barbara for a 10 p.m. Eastern game on Dec. 20 and face Cal. St. Northridge at 5 p.m. on Dec. 22, helping to fine-tune the team before conference play opens.
"I just love the different things that we're doing, whether it be going to play on CBS at Maryland or with LSU at home," McCallie said of the non-conference schedule. "Overall, it's just another very strong schedule and I think it really will prepare us for an excellent Big Ten run."
In what is expected to be another challenging race for the Big Ten Conference title when league play opens on Dec. 28, the Spartans face six teams in league play alone that advanced to post-season tournaments a year ago. Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa and Minnesota each earned berths into the 2006 NCAA Tournament while Illinois and Indiana participated in the Women's NIT.
Three of the Spartans' first four conference games will be played in East Lansing, including the Big Ten season-opener on Dec. 28 against 2006 NIT quarterfinalist Indiana. Wisconsin visits the Breslin Center on Dec. 31, then the Spartans travel to Indiana on Jan. 4. After a Sunday bye, MSU hosts Purdue on Jan. 11.
The Spartans take to the road for a two-game swing, first to Iowa City on Jan. 14 to face the Hawkeyes and then to intrastate rival Michigan on Jan. 18 for the only meeting between the two teams this season.
MSU returns home to host Iowa on Jan. 21 and closes out the month at Penn State on Jan. 25. Back at the Breslin Center for two games, the Spartans will host the Lady Lions on Feb. 1 and Illinois on Feb. 4.
McCallie's club travels to her alma mater, Northwestern, for a Feb. 8 tilt before visiting Purdue on Feb. 11. MSU then hosts Northwestern on Feb. 15 before traveling for the lone meeting of the year at 2006 League champion Ohio State. The Buckeyes, who beat the Spartans three times in 2006--twice on last second shots--were a No. 1 seed in last season's NCAA tournament.
In the final week of conference action, MSU plays at Illinois on Feb. 22 and closes the regular season at home against Minnesota on Feb.25 in this year's only contest against the Golden Gophers.
In previewing the Big Ten match-ups, McCallie said, "We have a great and challenging schedule, which will help us be our very best in March."
The Spartans will begin the postseason with the Big Ten Tournament, March 1-5 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The NCAA Tournament begins on March 17, and Michigan State will host the first two rounds at the Breslin Center on March 18 and 20, guaranteeing the Spartans games on their home court if selected to the 64-team field. The Final Four will be held in Cleveland at the Quicken Loans Arena from April 1-3.
Complete Schedule in PDF Format
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Big Ten Composite Schedule in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
