Davidson WBB Sets 2016-17 Non-Conference Schedule
9/19/2016 11:46:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Associate SID
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Seventh-year head coach Michele Savage announced Davidson's non-conference schedule for women's basketball today, a 12-game slate with half of those games at John M. Belk Arena.
Highlighting this year's 2016-17 non-conference games is a trip to East Lansing, Mich., to face Big Ten-foe Michigan State and a Thanksgiving trip to Cancun, Mexico to play in the Cancun Challenge where the Wildcats will take on Toledo and Idaho State for the first time in program history. The 'Cats will also play cross-county rival Charlotte.
"Every year the goal is to provide a competitive non-conference schedule with schools from several conferences that will prepare us for the challenges of the A-10 conference," said Savage. "This year continues that trend as we look forward to going to Michigan State after hosting them last year and the team is excited about the Cancun Challenge and playing some first-time opponents."
Opening the season will be the trip to East Lansing as well as to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face the Spartans and Western Michigan. Davidson hosted Michigan State last year, falling to the nationally-ranked Spartans (25-9), who finished the season ranked 16/21 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in the past 14 years, making it into the second round.
This will be the first time facing Western Michigan, which plays in the Mid-American Conference and went 17-15 a year ago.
The Wildcats will welcome UCF in a first-time matchup to John M. Belk Arena for their home opener, Nov. 16, and then three days later Radford comes to town. The Highlanders (18-13 last season) took last year's meeting, 79-68, to even the all-time series at three games each.
For the second year in a row, Davidson will take part in a Thanksgiving Tournament when it travels for the first time during the regular season out of the country to take part in the Cancun Challenge, Nov. 23-26. On Thanksgiving Day, the Wildcats will take on their second school from the MAC, and a familiar team for coach Savage, when they face Toledo (17-13 in 2015-16). Savage coached on the Rockets team as an assistant during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons.
Davidson will also square off against the Idaho State Bengals for the first time at the Cancun Challenge. ISU went 18-15 a year ago, reaching the Big Sky Tournament Championship game before falling to Idaho.
Returning back to the states, Davidson will have the luxury of playing four of its next six games at home starting with a mid-week game against UNC Wilmington to finish out the month of November. The Wildcats downed the Seahawks last year to win the UNCW Thanksgiving Tournament and move their all-time record to 4-5.
After a trip to East Tennessee State, Dec. 3, the Wildcats will host High Point and Furman on the 7th and 18th. The 'Cats took a double-overtime thriller vs. the Panthers last year to even the series at five-apiece, while opening the season on the road at Furman and picking up 18-point win for the program's 28th in the series.
Davidson and its cross-county rival 49ers (19-12 a year ago) continue their rivalry with a Dec. 21 matchup at Halton Arena before Christmas. The series dates back to 1974 and has Charlotte leading 16-10.
Following the Christmas break, Mercer comes to Belk Arena for a Dec. 29 game to close out the non-conference schedule. The Wildcats are 2-1 against the Bears (24-9 and WNIT appearance last year), but fell in the last meeting during the 2012-13 season.
Davidson's entire Atlantic 10 conference schedule will be released at a later date.
Highlighting this year's 2016-17 non-conference games is a trip to East Lansing, Mich., to face Big Ten-foe Michigan State and a Thanksgiving trip to Cancun, Mexico to play in the Cancun Challenge where the Wildcats will take on Toledo and Idaho State for the first time in program history. The 'Cats will also play cross-county rival Charlotte.
"Every year the goal is to provide a competitive non-conference schedule with schools from several conferences that will prepare us for the challenges of the A-10 conference," said Savage. "This year continues that trend as we look forward to going to Michigan State after hosting them last year and the team is excited about the Cancun Challenge and playing some first-time opponents."
Opening the season will be the trip to East Lansing as well as to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face the Spartans and Western Michigan. Davidson hosted Michigan State last year, falling to the nationally-ranked Spartans (25-9), who finished the season ranked 16/21 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in the past 14 years, making it into the second round.
This will be the first time facing Western Michigan, which plays in the Mid-American Conference and went 17-15 a year ago.
The Wildcats will welcome UCF in a first-time matchup to John M. Belk Arena for their home opener, Nov. 16, and then three days later Radford comes to town. The Highlanders (18-13 last season) took last year's meeting, 79-68, to even the all-time series at three games each.
For the second year in a row, Davidson will take part in a Thanksgiving Tournament when it travels for the first time during the regular season out of the country to take part in the Cancun Challenge, Nov. 23-26. On Thanksgiving Day, the Wildcats will take on their second school from the MAC, and a familiar team for coach Savage, when they face Toledo (17-13 in 2015-16). Savage coached on the Rockets team as an assistant during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons.
Davidson will also square off against the Idaho State Bengals for the first time at the Cancun Challenge. ISU went 18-15 a year ago, reaching the Big Sky Tournament Championship game before falling to Idaho.
Returning back to the states, Davidson will have the luxury of playing four of its next six games at home starting with a mid-week game against UNC Wilmington to finish out the month of November. The Wildcats downed the Seahawks last year to win the UNCW Thanksgiving Tournament and move their all-time record to 4-5.
After a trip to East Tennessee State, Dec. 3, the Wildcats will host High Point and Furman on the 7th and 18th. The 'Cats took a double-overtime thriller vs. the Panthers last year to even the series at five-apiece, while opening the season on the road at Furman and picking up 18-point win for the program's 28th in the series.
Davidson and its cross-county rival 49ers (19-12 a year ago) continue their rivalry with a Dec. 21 matchup at Halton Arena before Christmas. The series dates back to 1974 and has Charlotte leading 16-10.
Following the Christmas break, Mercer comes to Belk Arena for a Dec. 29 game to close out the non-conference schedule. The Wildcats are 2-1 against the Bears (24-9 and WNIT appearance last year), but fell in the last meeting during the 2012-13 season.
Davidson's entire Atlantic 10 conference schedule will be released at a later date.
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