ECU Announces 2003-04 Women's Basketball Schedule
September 04, 2003 | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Eight games against 2003 postseason participants, including five against NCAA Tournament teams, a pair of home holiday tournaments, and non-conference road games against N.C. State and Wake Forest highlight the 2003-04 East Carolina women's basketball schedule, released on Wednesday by school officials.
"We are excited and anxious about the upcoming season," said second-year head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. "We have a great non-conference schedule that was made to help us prepare for Conference USA play this season. I think that if we can compete, win some games, build a little confidence and come together as a team, we should be well prepared for C-USA play come January."
ECU opens its season on the road against West Virginia of the Big East on Sunday, Nov. 23. The Pirates will then return home for their first game of the season at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Nov. 26, when they take on N.C. A&T.
The 2003-04 season welcomes a pair of tournaments to Williams Arena Nov. 28-29 and Dec. 6-7. Coach Baldwin-Tener and her Pirates close out the month of November by hosting the Lady Pirate Invitational. Ball State and Eastern Washington are scheduled for a first round match-up with a 1 p.m. tip-off and the Pirates will face Cleveland State at 3 p.m., with the consolation game beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday followed by the championship game at 6 p.m.
December will see the Pirates in action against four in-state schools, two of which are from the Atlantic Coast Conference. ECU will travel to ACC country when it faces N.C. State on Wednesday, Dec. 3, and Wake Forest on Dec. 21.
The first full weekend of the month, December 6 and 7, the women will host the third annual U.S. Cellular Classic. ECU will face Coppin State in the first round match-up, while UNC Greensboro and Coastal Carolina play in the other bracket. The consolation (1 p.m.) and championship (3 p.m.) games will take place on Sunday, Dec. 7. The Lady Pirates will also face in-state rival UNC Wilmington at home on Dec. 13, and travel to South Carolina State on Dec. 30.
The new year sees the Lady Pirates in action early as they play three non-conference schools in Savannah State on Jan. 1 at Williams Arena, before traveling to Arkansas State (Jan. 3) and Murray State (Jan. 5).
Conference USA play begins for the Pirates with two home games against UAB (Jan. 9) and USF (Jan. 11). The Pirates continue league play when they travel to Tulane Friday, Jan. 16 and Southern Miss Sunday, Jan. 18. East Carolina will face in-state rival Charlotte 49ers (Jan. 25) and Marquette (Jan. 31) to close out the first month of 2004.
"I think the play in C-USA will be better this year than last," stated Baldwin-Tener. "Last year C-USA sent five teams to the NCAA Tournament and can easily do that again this year. The good news is that we play in a strong conference and that seven of the top 10 scorers are back. The bad news is that the strong teams are just going to get stronger and we are going to have to raise our level of play to compete with them to give ourselves a chance to win."
The month of February sees the Pirates closing out their schedule with eight conference games. The Pirates will face four NCAA Tournament teams from 2003 in DePaul (Feb. 2) and TCU (Feb. 13) at home, and Cincinnati (Feb. 20) and Charlotte (Feb. 27) on the road. ECU will also travel to Saint Louis (Feb. 6) who participated in the 2003 Women's NIT.
This season's Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament will be March 4-7 at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, on the campus of TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. The Pirates will play one exhibition game prior to the start of the 2003-04 season. The Basketball Travelers will visit Williams Arena on Nov. 10.
2003-04 East Carolina Women's Basketball Schedule
November?10, Basketball Travelers (Exhibition); 23, at West Virginia; 26, NC A&T; 28-29, Lady Pirate Invitational.
December?3, at NC State; 6-7, US Cellular Classic; 21, at Wake Forest; 30, at S.C. State.
January?1, Savannah State; 3, at Arkansas State; 5, at Murray State, 9, UAB; 11, USF; 16, at Tulane; 18, at Southern Miss; 25, Charlotte; 31, Marquette.
February?2, DePaul; 6, at Saint Louis; 8, at Memphis; 13, TCU; 15, Houston; 20, at Cincinnati; 22, at Louisville; 27, at Charlotte; 4-7, Conference USA Tournament.
