University of Minnesota Athletics
WBB: Golden Gopher Women's Basketball Releases 2005-06 Schedule
8/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
“This is the most challenging schedule we’ve put together since I’ve been here,” said Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton. “We have some very good teams coming to play in Williams Arena and we have several very tough road trips in return, but it’s my belief that for our team to be the best we can be, we have to play the best.”
The Golden Gophers have 14 home games on the docket to be played in Williams Arena. Minnesota finished fifth nationally in average attendance figures a year ago, drawing 9,200 fans per game. The 2005-06 home schedule kicks off with the annual Subway Classic on Nov. 19-20. Minnesota will open its season against San Francisco.
The other teams in the Subway Classic are Stanford and Long Island, setting up what could possibly be the Gophers’ first major test of the season in a game against the talented Cardinal from the Pac-10. Washington State, another team that hails from the Pac-10, will visit Williams Arena on Dec. 10.
The Gophers will head to warmer weather to celebrate Thanksgiving and to compete in the Paradise Jam on the island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Minnesota will open against Nevada on Nov. 25, then play either Alabama, from the Southeastern Conference, or Virginia, from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Gophers’ second-round NCAA opponent last season. If the Gophers do not face Alabama, two other SEC teams await visits from the Minnesota squad, South Carolina on Dec. 13 and LSU on Jan. 7.
After a trip to New Mexico, Nebraska comes to Minneapolis on Dec. 3, for the Gophers’ first of two non-conference clashes with schools from the Big 12 Conference. A long-awaited match-up with Iowa State is Minnesota’s final game before Christmas on Dec. 22.
Minnesota will open Big Ten Conference play at Northwestern on Dec. 29, then play host to Wisconsin on Jan. 5, before a traveling to LSU for a game nationally broadcast by CBS.
Other big home dates for the Gophers are Jan. 12 versus Purdue, Jan. 15 versus Michigan State, Jan. 29 versus Penn State and Feb. 16 versus Ohio State.
The 16-game Big Ten schedule finds the Gophers playing six teams on a home-and-home basis and four schools just once. Minnesota’s schedule could be favorable as games at Williams Arena against perennial powers Ohio State and Penn State are not reciprocated with trips to Columbus and State College. The Gophers will also face Illinois and Iowa once during the season with both of those games on the road.
The Big Ten Tournament is once again slated for Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in early March. After hosting NCAA First and Second Round action in Williams Arena the past two seasons, the Gophers hope to garner their fifth consecutive NCAA berth and take their show on the road. Purdue and Penn State both host NCAA First and Second Round sites this season. The Final Four will be held April 2 and 4 in the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.
Minnesota posted a record of 26-8 in 2004-05 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season. The Golden Gophers return 12 letterwinners from that squad which recorded the most wins for the program during the NCAA era.
The Gophers will also play two home exhibition games as final tune-ups for the regular season, playing host to the Wisconsin AAU on Nov. 9 and St. Cloud State on Nov. 13.
2005-06 Minnesota Golden Gophers — Women’s Basketball Schedule
All times subject to change
Date Opponent Time (CST) Wed., Nov. 9 Wisconsin AAU (exhibition) 7 p.m. Sun., Nov. 13 St. Cloud State (exhibition) 2 p.m. Nov. 19-20 Subway Classic Sat., Nov. 19 Long Island vs. Stanford 1 p.m. Minnesota vs. San Francisco 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 20 Subway Classic Consolation Game 1 p.m. Championship Game 3 p.m. Nov. 25-26 at Paradise Jam (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands) Fri., Nov. 25 Minnesota vs. Nevada TBA Sat., Nov. 26 Minnesota vs. Alabama/Virginia TBA Wed., Nov. 30 at New Mexico 7 p.m. Sat., Dec. 3 Nebraska 5 p.m. Sat., Dec. 10 Washington State 7 p.m. Tues., Dec. 13 at South Carolina 7 p.m. Thur., Dec. 22 Iowa State 7 p.m. Thur., Dec. 29 at Northwestern (at Loyola U.) 5 p.m. Thur., Jan. 5 Wisconsin 7 p.m. Sat., Jan. 7 at LSU (CBS) 11 a.m. Mon., Jan. 9 at Indiana 6 p.m. Thur., Jan. 12 Purdue (CSN-Chicago) 7 p.m. Sun., Jan. 15 Michigan State (CSN-Chicago) 1 p.m. Thur., Jan. 19 at Michigan 6 p.m. Sun., Jan. 22 at Iowa 2 p.m. Thur., Jan. 26 North Dakota State 7 p.m. Sun., Jan. 29 Penn State 5 p.m. Thur., Feb. 2 at Illinois 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 5 Michigan 2 p.m. Thur., Feb. 9 at Michigan State (CSN-Chicago) 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 12 at Purdue (ESPN2) 3 p.m. Thur., Feb. 16 Ohio State 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 19 at Wisconsin 2 p.m. Thur., Feb. 23 Indiana 7 p.m. Sun., Feb. 26 Northwestern 2 p.m. Mar. 2-7 at Big Ten Tournament TBA (Indianapolis, Ind.) Mar. 18-21 NCAA First/Second Rounds TBA Mar. 25-28 NCAA Regionals TBA Apr. 2/4 NCAA Final Four TBA (Boston, Mass.) CSN-Chicago – Comcast SportsNet Chicago