Hurricanes Announce 2009-10 Women's Basketball Schedule
Aug. 28, 2009
CORAL GABLES – Fifth-year head coach Katie Meier announced the 2009-10 schedule for the University of Miami women’s basketball team today. The Hurricanes will play a total of 14 games against teams that advanced to the 2009 postseason and will also be featured on ESPN 2 during the season.
Miami will face a 14-game ACC schedule, of which 11 will be against opponents that moved on to the postseason. Texas, Florida State, Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia competed in the NCAA Tournament, with the Blue Devils and Terrapins drawing top-seeds in 2009.
“We have a very challenging schedule, which is always the case with the ACC. But, I think we have enhanced our non-conference schedule by inviting two Big 12 (Nebraska and Texas) opponents to come to the BankUnited Center,” said head coach Katie Meier. “This is an ambitious schedule for a young team, but I think my squad is special and will be up for the challenge.”
Of the `Canes 29 games, 15 will be held at the BankUnited Center, including seven games against conference foes. The Hurricanes will also host two tournaments this season. November 27-28, Miami welcomes Massachusetts, Rice and Long Beach State to South Florida for the UM Thanksgiving Tournament. The UM Holiday Tournament will feature Texas, Central Michigan and Quinnipiac, Dec. 28-29.
A season ago, Miami finished with a 13-17 record, four games better than in 2007-08. As a 10-seed in the ACC Tournament, UM fell to the WNIT semifinalist, Boston College Eagles. Three starters return from last year’s squad, including sophomore Shenise Johnson, the team leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Johnson was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and was an ACC Honorable Mention honoree.
The Hurricanes incoming class includes McDonald’s All-American Morgan Stroman, who led Lower Richland High School to four-straight South Carolina State Championships. Hannah Shaw and Stefanie Yderstrom both hail from Europe, where they have played for their countries national teams, England and Sweden respectively. Shanel Williams (Chesapeake, Va.) and Lee Anna Osei (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) will also be counted on as contributors this season.
After an exhibition at home against Barry on Saturday, Nov. 7, Miami opens the season on a West Coast swing when the face UC Riverside on Friday, Nov. 13, followed by Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday, Nov. 15. UC Riverside was the runner-up in the West Coast Conference and received an invitation to the WNIT, where it fell to Creighton in the first round.
The home-opener will be against in-state foe Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. After a road contest in Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 21 to face UAB, the `Canes will return to the BankUnited Center for a season-high four-game homestand. On Tuesday, Nov. 24, Houston and UM continue their annual series, meeting for the fourth-time in as many seasons.
The Orange and Green will face Long Beach State in the opening round of the UM Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday, Nov. 27, then face either Massachusetts or Rice the following day. The first game of December will be against another postseason team as Nebraska of the Big 12 Conference will wrap-up Miami’s homestand on Saturday the fifth.
After a two-week layoff due to final exams for the student-athletes, the Hurricanes will travel to Upstate New York for a two-game swing before the holiday break. Saturday, Dec. 19, Miami will face Binghamton, then turn around and face Cornell two days later.
Upon returning to Coral Gables, the `Canes host their annual UM Holiday Tournament, opening with Quinnipiac on Monday, Dec. 28, the facing either Central Michigan or Texas the following day. If Miami faces Texas it will be the second Big 12 opponent of the season and will also be the first against an NCAA Tournament team from 2009. The Longhorns fell to Mississippi State in the opening round.
The final game of December will be at home against North Florida on Thursday, Dec. 31. The New Year’s Eve game will be played at 2 p.m. January’s schedule opens will a road game against namesake Miami (Ohio), Sunday, Jan. 3 in Oxford, Ohio.
Sunday, Jan. 10, Miami faces rival Florida State in the regionally televised ACC opener at the BankUnited Center. On Thursday the 14th the Hurricanes host their second-straight ACC contest as they welcome Duke to town. Both the Blue Devils and the Seminoles advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2009. The Florida State game will be the first of two meetings during the season.
Coach Meier and her squad will then hit the road for two straight, facing Wake Forest – a second round WNIT team – on Sunday, Jan. 17, then Maryland on Thursday, Jan. 21. The Terrapins advanced to the Elite Eight in 2009, further than any other UM opponent on the season.
One of the `Canes ACC victories last season was against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. This year, the Hokies come to Coral Gables on Sunday, Jan. 24. The stay at home will be short-lived as Miami will then travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech, in what has recently become an intense rivalry on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The Yellow Jackets were one of the five ACC teams that advanced into the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The final game of January is also on the road for UM as it faces Boston College on Sunday, Jan. 31.
The Hurricanes face North Carolina in the first game of February, Thursday the fourth in Coral Gables. The Tar Heels also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a three-seed. After hosting SIU-Edwardsville in a non-conference game on Sunday, Feb. 7, Miami returns to ACC play Thursday, Feb. 11. Miami fell to the then No. 21 Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va. in overtime last season, but will host the game this year.
On Sunday, Feb. 14, the Hurricanes will travel to take on the NC State Wolfpack in a game that will be televised on ESPN 2 at 5:30 p.m.
After a game at Clemson on Thursday, Feb. 18, Miami will alternate between home and away for their last three games of the regular season. The `Canes face Georgia Tech (Sunday, Feb. 21), Florida State (Thursday, Feb. 25) and Boston College (Sunday, Feb 28) each for the second time on the season. The Georgia Tech and the Boston College contests will be held in the BankUnited Center.
The ACC Tournament will once again be held in Greensboro, N.C. at the Greensboro Coliseum March 4-7.
Tickets are now available through the Hurricane Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-CANES or visit us online at hurricanesports.com.
2009-10 Schedule
Nov. Opponent Location Time
7 Sat. Barry (Exhibition) Coral Gables, Fla. TBA
13 Fri. at UC Riverside Riverside, Calif. 10 p.m.
15 Sun. at Cal State Bakersfield Bakersfield, Calif. 5 p.m.
18 Wed. Bethune-Cookman Coral Gables, Fla. 7 p.m.
21 Sat. at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 2 p.m.
24 Tue. Houston Coral Gables, Fla. 12 p.m.
UM Thanksgiving Tournament (11/27-28)
UMass, Rice, Long Beach State
27 Fri. Long Beach State Coral Gables, Fla. 7 p.m.
28 Sat. UMass/Rice Coral Gables, Fla. 5/7 p.m.
Dec. Opponent Location Time
5 Sat. Nebraska Coral Gables, Fla. 2 p.m.
19 Sat. at Binghamton Binghamton, N.Y. 2 p.m.
21 Mon. at Cornell Ithaca, N.Y. 7 p.m.
UM Holiday Tournament (12/28-29)
Texas, Central Michigan, Quinnipiac
28 Mon. Quinnipiac Coral Gables, Fla. 7 p.m.
29 Tue. Texas/Central Michigan Coral Gables, Fla. 5/7 p.m.
31 Thu. North Florida Coral Gables, Fla. 2 p.m.
Jan. Opponent Location Time
3 Sun. at Miami (Ohio) Oxford, Ohio 1 p.m.
10 Sun. Florida State*^ Coral Gables, Fla. 1 p.m.
14 Thu. Duke* Coral Gables, Fla. 7 p.m.
17 Sun. at Wake Forest* Winston-Salem, N.C. 2 p.m.
21 Thu. at Maryland* College Park, Md. 7 p.m.
24 Sun. Virginia Tech* Coral Gables, Fla. 2 p.m.
27 Wed. at Georgia Tech* Atlanta, Ga. 7 p.m.
31 Sun. at Boston College* Chestnut Hill, Mass. 2 p.m.
Feb. Opponent Location Time
4 Thu. North Carolina* Coral Gables, Fla. 7 p.m.
7 Sun. SIU-Edwardsville Coral Gables, Fla. 2 p.m.
11 Thu. Virginia* Coral Gables, Fla. 7 p.m
14 Sun. at NC State*# Raliegh, N.C. 5:30 p.m.
18 Thu. at Clemson* Clemson, S.C. 7 p.m.
21 Sun. Georgia Tech* Coral Gables, Fla. 2 p.m.
25 Thu. at Florida State* Tallahassee, Fla. 7 p.m.
28 Sun. Boston College* Coral Gables, Fla. 2 p.m.
March Opponent Location Time
4-7 ACC Tournament Greensboro, N.C. TBA
All HOME GAMES are played at the BankUnited Center.
All times Eastern.
* ACC Game
# Televised on ESPN2
^ Televised on Regional Sports Network (Fox Sports Net South, Fox Sports Net Florida, Comcast Sports Net, New England Sports Network)
