Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Release 2008-09 Women's Basketball Schedule
9/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sept. 4, 2008
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's basketball program, in conjunction with the Big Ten Conference, released its 2008-09 schedule on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans will face at least 13 schools who participated in postseason play last season, including eight programs who were among the NCAA Tournament field of 64. In addition, at least nine games will be featured on national television with eight scheduled on the Big Ten Network and one on ESPN2.
"We are very excited about the outlook of the season," said second-year head coach Suzy Merchant. "This season's non-conference schedule is going to challenge us, as we get prepared for the always daunting 18-game Big Ten Conference schedule. Playing four teams who qualified for the NCAA Tournament, not to mention three on the road in the opening months, will be a great measuring stick for our team."
Michigan State will begin play on Sunday, Nov. 2 for the annual Green and White game, set for 2 p.m. at Breslin Center. Two exhibition games follow at Breslin before the regular season begins, as the Spartans face Saginaw Valley State on Thursday, Nov. 6 and Grand Valley State on Sunday, Nov. 9.
"We are looking forward to being able to host 14 regular-season games in front of one of the best home crowds in the country," added Merchant. "We return most of our production from last season, so their is a lot of optimism leading into 2008-09."
The Spartans begin the 2008-09 regular season with three-straight home contests, beginning with a Friday, Nov. 14 tilt with Niagara. Stony Brook (Sunday, Nov. 16) and Detroit (Wednesday, Nov. 19) round out the opening week of action for the green and white.
Michigan State hits the road for the first time for the TD Banknorth Classic, hosted by the University of Vermont, on Nov. 22-23. The Spartans begin with a matchup against Ivy league regular season champion and WNIT participant Dartmouth on Saturday, and will conclude the trip with a contest against either the host Catamounts or Quinnipiac in the championship or consolation game. Vermont totaled 24 wins last season and advanced to the second round of the WNIT, while Quinnipiac also had a strong 2007-08, posting 25 wins.
The Spartans return to the Breslin Center for a showdown with Old Dominion on Wednesday, Nov. 26. ODU played its way into the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, winning 31 games and finishing ranked No. 10 in the final ESPN/USA Today national ranking. MSU will be looking for revenge after last season's 79-73 loss in Norfolk.
After the Thanksgiving holiday, MSU begins a four-game road trip that includes three NCAA Tournament schools. On Saturday, Nov. 29, the Spartans travel to Notre Dame, MSU's second consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 opponent. The Irish finished the season 26-9 and No. 13 in the final ESPN/USA Today poll.
December starts with another NCAA Tournament program. The Spartans head to Atlanta, Ga,. to face Georgia Tech on Wednesday, Dec. 3 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, before remaining on the road for a game at St. Bonaventure on Sunday, Dec. 7. The road trip concludes on Sunday, Dec. 14, as the Spartans end the road portion of their non-conference schedule with a game at Xavier. The Musketeers won 24 games and the Atlantic 10 championship for the second consecutive season in 2007-08, earning them a berth into the NCAAs.
Delaware State will be the final non-conference opponent for the Spartans, as the Lady Hornets come to Breslin on Thursday, Dec. 18. All times and television for MSU's non-conference schedule will be released on a future date.
Like last season, the Spartans will play 18 Big Ten Conference contests, facing each school but Iowa and Illinois, in a home-and-away. Nine of the first 15 conference games are scheduled to be on national television (eight on the Big Ten Network and one on ESPN2). The final three times and television arrangements will be announced at a later date.
Michigan State begins its Big Ten schedule on Sunday, Dec. 21 with a nationally televised game at Penn State. The Spartans and Nittany Lions are set to tip at 12 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. WNIT participant Indiana will be the first home conference foe for MSU, as the Hoosiers come to East Lansing on Monday, Dec. 29 for a 7 p.m. start.
The New Year begins with the Spartans on the hard court, facing the defending Big Ten Tournament champion Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind., on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. MSU will remain on the road, and on the Big Ten Network, as it faces Ohio State on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. The Buckeyes shared the regular-season conference crown with Iowa and earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans return home for a Thursday, Jan. 8 contest with Northwestern, before heading across state for the first of two matchups with inter-state rival Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. Penn State comes to Breslin Center for the Sunday, Jan. 18 Big Ten Network game, but MSU is quickly back on the road, finishing the home-and-away with Northwestern on Thursday, Jan. 25.
January ends with a pair of home games for the Spartans. Wisconsin begins the home stand on Sunday, Jan. 25 with a 2 p.m. Big Ten Network game, followed by the only matchup of the season with co-Big Ten regular season champion, Iowa on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.
Four-straight nationally televised games begin the month of February. A pair of road Big Ten Network contests start the month, as the Spartans travel to Minnesota on Monday, Feb. 2 for a 8 p.m. tip, then move down to Illinois for a 9 p.m. start on Thursday, Feb. 5.
MSU returns to the Breslin Center and welcomes Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 8. The 2 p.m. start will be one of four Big Ten Conference regular-season games which will air on ESPN2 this season. Michigan State returns to the road and the Big Ten Network for a Thursday, Feb. 12 game at Indiana.
The Spartans close out the Big Ten regular-season schedule with three of the final four games at home. A visit from Michigan begins the final stretch at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Feb. 19 with a 7 p.m. tip. The final road trip of the regular season is to Madison, Wis., on Sunday, Feb. 22, before returning home for games against Minnesota and Purdue. The Golden Gophers come to East Lansing on Thursday, Feb. 26, and the Spartans and Boilermakers will end the season on Sunday, March 1.
The final three contests will be part of wildcard days. ESPN2 will air one of the Feb. 22 games, while the Big Ten Network will cover a game on Feb. 26 and March 1.
Conseco Fieldhouse will again host the Big Ten Tournament, running from March 5-8. Meanwhile, the NCAA Tournament will begin on Saturday, March 21. Michigan State and the Breslin Center will be one of 16 first-and second-round host locations on March 22 and 24.
The Spartans enter the 2008-09 season coming off a 23-win season and a trip to the WNIT championship game. The wins were the most in the Big Ten, the fourth most in program history and marked the fifth-straight 20-win season for MSU. Michigan State finished the regular season ranked 10th nationally in attendance, the third-straight year MSU has ranked in the top 10. Michigan State returns 10 letterwinners and all five starters in 2008-09, including first-team All-Big Ten selection Allyssa DeHaan. The Spartans also welcome back Aisha Jefferson after she received a medical redshirt year in 2007-08, in addition to a highly-touted recruiting class.
