Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats Announce 2011-12 Schedule
10/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 1, 2011
2011-12 Schedule
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern announced its 2011-12 women's basketball schedule today (Sept. 30), featuring an exciting nonconference slate to launch the campaign. The Wildcats face some familiar foes from last season's schedule, including Central Michigan, Western Kentucky and LSU, while welcoming Nebraska into its first season of Big Ten play. NU also participates in sanctioned conference clashes, including the second-annual Big Ten/Big XII Challenge and the fifth-annual Big Ten/ ACC Challenge. The Duel in the Desert, a multi-team event in Las Vegas that attracts some of the top women's basketball programs in the nation, also is on the Wildcats' preseason list.
The 'Cats officially usher in the new season at Central Michigan on Nov. 11 before returning to Welsh-Ryan Arena to battle Western Kentucky in the home opener on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. NU battles Illinois State four days later in a 7 p.m. contest in Evanston.
Just before Thanksgiving, the Wildcats visit the Bayou, in search of their second-straight victory over LSU. After returning from Louisiana, NU faces intra-city rival and perennial power DePaul in the Autism Awareness Game back in Welsh-Ryan Arena on Nov. 27. This Chicago-area showdown tips at 2 p.m. and will be aired on the Big Ten Network. The Wildcats hang around Evanston for one more contest, battling NC State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 30. In the spirit of building conference rivalries, the `Cats travel to Columbia to face Big XII member Missouri for the second year in a row in the Big Ten/Big XII Challenge on Dec. 3. The contest is slated for 4 p.m.
NU travels just a few miles south to play Loyola on Dec. 10 and then takes on Morgan State at home a few days later (Dec. 14). Trekking to Las Vegas, Northwestern will participate in Duel in the Desert taking on a grueling three-day line-up in UNLV (Dec. 18), Kansas State (Dec. 19) and North Dakota State (Dec. 20). While what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, the team returns home for their final non-conference game against MAC power Toledo on Dec. 27.
Conference play tips off in the same fashion at the nonconference slate--on the road--at Iowa on Friday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. For a complete schedule of Big Ten games, please click on the link above.
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