University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball announced that it will face defending NCAA Division II champion University of Central Missouri as well as 2017 NCAA II champion and 2018 national runner-up Ashland University.
The announcement came as Head Coach Rick Stein and the Screaming Eagles released their 2018-19 schedule, which features 26 games that will count toward their regional record.
USI begins the season with road games at Midwest Region foes Northwood University and Saginaw Valley State University November 9 and 11, respectively. Its non-conference slate includes six games against Midwest Region foes and an additional two games against reciprocal opponents.
Following its two-game swing into Michigan, the Eagles open their home schedule November 14 with a rematch against Lincoln Memorial University, the only non-conference team to hand USI a loss a year ago.
USI hosts another Midwest Region opponent in Ferris State University, November 16, before hosting Indiana University Kokomo November 20.
The USI Thanksgiving Classic is November 24-25 and features USI, Bellarmine, Lake Erie College and Michigan Tech University. Bellarmine and Michigan Tech, an NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament qualifier a year ago, begin the two-day classic, while USI takes on Lake Erie in the second game November 24 before ending the weekend against Michigan Tech.
USI’s only Great Lakes Valley Conference game prior to the holiday break is when the Eagles host Bellarmine December 1, while a return to non-conference play December 4 against NAIA foe Lindenwood University-Belleville begins USI’s final three-game stretch against non-GLVC opponents.
The Eagles visit Central Missouri December 18 in Warrensburg, Missouri, while a home game against Ashland December 30 rounds out the calendar year.
GLVC play picks up again January 3 when the Eagles visit Maryville University. The Eagles also visit the University of Missouri-St. Louis January 5 before returning home to face Truman State University January 10 and Quincy University January 12.
Continuing its 18-game conference slate, the Eagles visit Rockhurst University January 17 before traveling to Liberty, Missouri, for a bout with William Jewell College January 19.
The Eagles host Missouri S&T January 24 and defending GLVC champion Drury University January 26; then hit the road for three straight with stops at Bellarmine (February 2), the University of Indianapolis February 7) and NCAA II Tournament participant Lewis University (February 9).
USI begins a four-game homestand February 14 against McKendree University. The Eagles also host the University of Illinois Springfield February 16 before closing out their regular-season home slate with contests against Lewis (February 21) and Indianapolis (February 23).
The Eagles end the regular season with trips to Illinois Springfield (February 28) and McKendree (March 2), while the GLVC Tournament is March 8-10 in Edwardsville, Illinois. The NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament is March 15-18, while the NCAA II Elite Eight is March 26-29 in Columbus, Ohio.
All told, USI’s 2018-19 opponents compiled an overall record of 382-276 (.581) in 2017-18, with five of those opponents qualifying for the NCAA II Tournament. USI will face seven teams that won at least 20 games a year ago, including three teams that reached the 30-win threshold.
USI is looking for its second straight trip to the NCAA II Tournament after going 26-5 overall and 16-2 in the GLVC. Under Stein, who has been named the GLVC Coach of the Year in the last two seasons and three times in his career, the Eagles are 50-10 overall and 32-4 in GLVC play throughout the last two seasons and have won two straight GLVC East Division titles.
