STATESBORO, Ga. - The Women's Basketball team is set to face the 2001 NCAA National Champions, Notre Dame (25-9). Notre Dame's season ended in the Sweet Sixteen after losing to the eventual National Champion, Tennessee. Notre Dame returns three starters from that team including, Ashley Barlow, who averaged 12.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.0 spg.
Coach Cram had this to say on facing Notre Dame. “We are trying to broaden their [The Eagles] horizons and let them see what is really out there. There is such great tradition and history at Notre Dame. It will be a trip these girls will never forget. When you play against Notre Dame you are playing against the best. They are going to expose our weaknesses and expose them early, so that we have time to work on them before we get hard into the conference schedule.”
The Eagles are going to face off with a pair of Southeastern Conference opponents. The first of which will come at the beginning of the season and is an exhibition game against the University of Florida on November the 1st in Gainesville, Fla., the second game will be against the Auburn Tigers on November the 19th at 7:00 pm in Statesboro.
“Playing those type schools gets us ready for conference play and if we get to the NCAA tournament these are the teams that we are going to play anyway," said Coach Cram.
The Eagles play their second game of the season and final scrimmage game against Armstrong Atlantic on November the 10th at home.
“The schedule is a typical Georgia Southern Women's Basketball schedule. We like to go after four or five major teams. We have six freshmen coming in here and the way to get them seasoned is time and by playing some of the better competition you can play against,” said coach Cram.
The regular season starts November the 15th with a home game against Brewton Parker College. The game is set to tip at 1:00 pm.
The women's basketball team is planning to head to Boca Raton, Fla. and play Florida Atlantic on November 17th at 7:00 pm.
They return to south Florida on the 29th of December for the Florida International Tournament in Miami, Fla.
“The Florida International tournament is a very strong tournament. Eastern Carolina and Florida International both are very good quality programs, but the best team in the tournament is Marist, who has been in the top 10 or top 20 the last couple of years and are a very solid ball club," said Coach Cram.
The Eagles open conference play at home against Appalachian State on December the 1st.
The next three conference games are on the road and then the Eagles return home for a three game conference home stand, which starts on January the 3rd against Chattanooga.
The Eagles finish up conference play with a two game road trip to Wofford and Appalachian State.
