University of Richmond Athletics
Michael Shafer Announces Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
08/24/2005 | Women's Basketball
Aug. 24, 2005
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - University of Richmond first-year head women's basketball coach Michael Shafer announced the Spiders' 2005-06 non-conference schedule, highlighted by an invite to the preseason WNIT, a trip to the West Coast and home games against ACC powers Virginia Tech, Virginia and Wake Forest.
"This schedule goes a long way in leading the Richmond basketball program to another level," Shafer said. "Our players and coaches feel that, to be considered one of the better teams around the country, you need to play teams like the ones we've scheduled. We look forward to those opportunities."
The 2005-06 schedule includes 10 of 11 opponents which finished with winning records last season - nine of which won at least 17 games and four of which won 20 or more games. Five teams on the schedule went to postseason play with three teams playing in the 2005 NCAA Tournament (Virginia, Virginia Tech, UC Santa Barbara) and two playing in the WNIT, including champion Southwest Missouri State and Wake Forest. The combined won-loss record from 2004-05 of the eleven scheduled non-conference opponents is 182-126 (.590)
"I am extremely excited about the challenging schedule for our basketball team," Shafer said. "The opportunity to play three ACC teams, along with traveling to Southwest Missouri State and UCSB to play on their home floors will provide our team the needed competition in preparing for the NCAA Tournament."
Richmond opens the season on Nov. 11 when the Spiders host Hampton in the preseason WNIT in the Robins Center. With a victory, Richmond would play the winner of Boston College-Drexel. The Spiders' next scheduled game is a trip to James Madison on Nov. 18, followed by a West Coast trip that includes games at UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 23) and Long Beach State (Nov. 26). That trip will be a homecoming for senior Araceli Gil, a three-year starter from Santa Barbara, Calif.
Richmond returns to Virginia for a match-up at city-rival VCU (Nov. 30) before a three-game home stand against Virginia Tech (Dec. 4), Harvard (Dec. 11) and Virginia (Dec. 18). The Spiders play at Howard on Dec. 21, host Wake Forest on Dec. 28 and wrap up the non-conference schedule on Dec. 31 at 2005 WNIT champion SMS.
Richmond is coming off its third-straight 20-win season, having finished 23-8 in 2004-05 and earned the program's first-ever NCAA at-large berth. The Spiders return five of their top six scorers from last year's team, led by senior Saona Chapman, who averaged 11.6 points per game last season. Chapman also led Richmond in assists (4.4 apg) and three-point field goals (48). Christina Campion averaged 9.8 points per game last season and is the leading returning rebounder (6.5 rpg).
Shafer, who spent the last 11 years on the staff at Georgia, helped the Bulldogs to 329 wins, 11 NCAA appearances and three Final Fours.
| 2005-06 Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule | ||
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| Athletes in Action (Exh.) | |
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| HAMPTON (WNIT), 14-13 | |
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| vs. Boston College/Drexel (WNIT) | |
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| WNIT Semifinals | |
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| at James Madison, 18-11 | |
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| WNIT Finals | |
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| at UC Santa Barbara, 21-9 | |
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| at Long Beach State, 19-9 | |
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| at Virginia Commonwealth, 11-18 | |
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| VIRGINIA TECH, 17-12 | |
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| HARVARD, 20-8 | |
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| VIRGINIA, 21-11 | |
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| at Howard, 17-12 | |
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| WAKE FOREST, 17-15 | |
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| at Southwest Missouri State, 25-8 | |
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