This in from UConn:
STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has released its non-conference schedule for the 2014-15 season, as announced by head coach Geno Auriemma on Friday. The schedule includes 12 games, a figure that includes four at home, three on the road and five at neutral sites.
The Huskies will play their first of two exhibition games against Division II opponents on Saturday, November 1 against Auriemma’s alma mater, West Chester University. West Chester finished the 2013-14 season with a 19-9 record and a 13-3 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The exhibition portion of the schedule will be rounded out with a game against Post University on Sunday, November 9. Post finished last season with a 10-16 record, including a 9-10 mark in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
The regular-season opener is set for Friday, November 14 when the Huskies head west to square-off against UC Davis. The Aggies finished the 2013-14 campaign with a 15-16 record and a 9-7 mark in the Big West. UConn defeated UC Davis by a 97-37 margin on December 5, 2013 in Hartford.
Next up for the Huskies is a rematch of last year’s NCAA national semifinal matchup as the team remains in the Golden State to take on Stanford. The Cardinal finished the year ranked sixth in the Associated Press Poll and won the Pac-12 regular season crown before falling to UConn, 75-56, in the aforementioned matchup. Stanford was 33-4 overall last year but the Huskies have won four-straight and seven of the last eight showdowns between the two squads. The Stanford matchup is set for a 9 p.m. ET tip and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
The 2014-15 home opener is set for Sunday, November 23 against Creighton. The Blue Jays were 20-14 overall and 12-16 in the Big East last year. The team finished the season rated No. 83 in the RPI and advanced to the second round of the NIT.
The Huskies will head to the Sunshine State over Thanksgiving to compete in the Gulf Coast Showcase at Germain Arena in Naples. UConn will open the event on Friday, November 28 against the College of Charleston and will face either Minnesota or Vanderbilt on Saturday. Sunday’s contest will pit the Huskies against either Georgia Tech, Green Bay or Villanova. SNY will have complete coverage of the Huskies during the event.
UConn has won 52-straight regular-season tournament games dating back to a 57-37 loss to Vanderbilt on December 29, 1992 at the Hilton Head Super Shootout.
The Huskies will partake in the Jimmy V Classic for the fourth-straight season when the team travels to South Bend, Ind. on December 6 for a showdown with Notre Dame. The Irish finished the 2013-14 season with a 37-1 overall record and won the ACC regular season and tournament crowns before falling, 79-58, to UConn in the national championship game. The Irish had beaten the Huskies four-consecutive times before losing each of the last two matchups between the two teams. Game time is set for 3:15 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
UConn will welcome DePaul to the Nutmeg State on Friday, December 19 in a contest between two former conference rivals. The Blue Demons posted a 29-7 record last year and won the Big East regular season and tournament championship before advancing to the Regional Semifinal of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies are 11-1 all-time vs. DePaul with the only blemish coming during Ronald Reagan’s first term as president.
Next up for the Huskies is a contest against UCLA on Sunday, December 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena as part of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Women’s Holiday Showcase. The contest is set to tip at 5 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2. UCLA suffered through an injury-riddled 2013-14 season and finished with a 13-18 overall mark, including 7-11 in the Pac 12.
After breaking for over a week for Christmas, the Huskies will welcome Duke to Connecticut on Monday, December 29. The Blue Devils finished last season ranked No. 9 nationally and were 28-7 before exiting the NCAA Tournament in the second round.
Next on the docket is a meeting with St. John’s on Sunday, January 4 in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden. This will mark UConn’s second-consecutive appearance in the Maggie Dixon Classic and St. John’s finished last year with a 23-11 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The12-game non-conference slate will be rounded out with a game on Monday, February 9 against South Carolina in the Constitution State. USC finished last season ranked No. 8 nationally and won the SEC regular season title before bowing out in the NCAA Regional Semifinal.
Game times, home game locations and television information are TBA. A complete SNY broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
2014-15 Non-conference Schedule Notes
– 12 total games
– Four home games, three road contests and five at neutral sites
– Four games against teams in last year’s RPI top-10
– Four games against teams that won a conference championship in 2013-14
– Four games against teams that advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal
– Two games against teams that advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament Regional Final
*Does not include matchups for Naples Tournament
