CONNECTICUT ADDED TO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE; NATIONAL POWER WILL VISIT NUTTER CENTER NEW YEAR'S EVE
9/7/2001 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
National power Connecticut, NCAA champions in 1995 and 2000 along with a Final Four appearance last season, will face the Wright State women's
basketball team on New Year's Eve at 2 p.m. in the Ervin J. Nutter Center, WSU Athletics Director Dr. Michael Cusack announced today. "Our goal for all of our teams is to attempt to schedule the best programs possible," said Cusack. "When the opportunity to host the University of Connecticut women's basketball program presented itself, we readily accepted."
"A program such as UConn will serve as a model for our women as we begin the rebuilding process under Bridgett Williams," added Cusack. "It will also be an opportunity for our fans to see the best in women's college basketball and to get a sense of the direction we are planning to go in."
"It's very exciting to add a program such as Connecticut on our schedule," said Wright State women's basketball head coach Bridgett Williams. "It will be quite a challenge, but for our program to achieve the level I believe it can reach, we will have to face challenges such as this."
"When I was at Chicago State, we always scheduled top programs and I want that to continue here at Wright State," added Williams. "We have a fantastic facility in the Nutter Center and this game will be great to showcase women's basketball to the Miami Valley."
The Huskies, who finished with a 32-3 record last season, return 11 players, including 6-2 senior forward Tamika Williams, the Chaminade-Julienne graduate who will be playing in her hometown as a college player for the first time.
Williams appeared in 33 games with three starts last season, averaging 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. The 1999 Sporting News National Freshman of the Year and Big East Rookie of the Year shot a remarkable 75.9 percent (132 for 174) from the field and has a three-year field goal percentage of .702.
While at C-J, Williams was the Street & Smith, Naismith, USA Today and Parade National High School Player of the Year and was a First Team All-American. She averaged 19.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 3.4 steals per game her senior season and finished her high school career with 2015 points, 1179 rebounds, 296 assists, 185 steals and 135 blocks.
Connecticut is coached by Geno Auriemma, who enters his 17th season as head coach with a record of 425-98 (.813). Under Auriemma direction, Connecticut ranked second nationally in Division I victories during the 1990's with 290 and were also second in total winning percentage (.860). The Huskies also became the first team in Division I college basketball history (men or women) to post five consecutive 30-plus win campaigns.
Auriemma was also an assistant coach with the gold medal winning U.S. women's basketball team in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. As part of the agreement between the two schools, Wright State will make a return trip to Connecticut during the 2002-03 season. Women's basketball season tickets are now on sale for $25 by calling the WSU Ticket Office at 775-4789. Individual game tickets are $6 but won't be available until November 1.
The following is the 2001-02 revised Wright State women's basketball schedule:
Revised 2001-02 Wright State Women's Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sat., Nov. 3 BASKETBALL TRAVELERS (Exhibition) 1:00
Tues., Nov. 13 ATHLETES IN ACTION (Exhibition) 7:00
Fri., Nov. 16 at Ball State 7:00
Tues., Nov. 20 MIAMI 7:00
Aggie Invitational (College Station, TX)
Sat., Nov. 24 Wright State at Texas A&M 2:00
Charlotte vs. Jackson State 4:00
Sun., Nov. 25 Consolation 2:00
Championship 4:00
Wed., Nov. 28 WEST VIRGINIA 7:00
Sat., Dec. 1 at IP-Fort Wayne 1:00
Mon., Dec. 3 at UIC * 8:00
Thur., Dec. 6 MOREHEAD STATE 7:00
Wed., Dec. 12 OHIO 7:00
Sat., Dec. 15 at Bowling Green 1:00
Tues., Dec. 18 at Dayton 5:00
Mon., Dec. 31 CONNECTICUT 2:00
Sat., Jan. 5 at Detroit * 2:00
Mon., Jan. 7 at Cleveland State * 5:00
Thur., Jan. 10 WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE * 7:00
Sat., Jan. 12 WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY * 1:00
Sat., Jan. 19 at Loyola * 4:00
Thur., Jan. 24 at Youngstown State * 7:00
Sat., Jan. 26 BUTLER * 1:00
Thur., Jan. 31 CLEVELAND STATE * 6:00
Sat., Feb. 2 DETROIT * 3:00
Thur., Feb. 7 at Wisconsin-Milwaukee * 8:00
Sat., Feb. 9 at Wisconsin-Green Bay * 4:00
Thur., Feb. 14 UIC * 7:00
Sat., Feb. 16 LOYOLA * 1:00
Thur., Feb. 21 at Butler * 7:00
Sun., Feb. 24 YOUNGSTOWN STATE * 1:00
Wed.-Sun., Feb. 27-Mar. 3 at Horizon League Tournament TBA
(Chicago, IL-Hosted by Loyola)
* Horizon League contest
