Home games against Missouri and Northwestern and a trip to the Bahamas highlight Missouri State’s 2017-18 non-conference basketball schedule, and the Lady Bears will play a total of eight non-league games against teams that won at least 20 games last season on a slate revealed by fifth-year head coach Kellie Harper Monday.
With the addition of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule, which will be released by the league in the coming weeks, the Lady Bears will have a total of 13 games against 10 teams that played in the postseason year ago.
“Our non-conference schedule is definitely rigorous this season, with plenty of NCAA Tournament and top-25 caliber teams,” Harper said. “It will be a challenge, but we are excited about the opportunity to test ourselves against high-level competition.”
The Lady Bears begin the 2017-18 campaign on Nov. 13 when they visit a Ball State team that won 21 games and appeared in the WNIT last season.
MSU’s home opener takes place Nov. 15 against Central Missouri, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament last season. Former Lady Bear Kenzie Williams is an assistant coach for the Jennies.
Missouri visits JQH Arena on Nov. 19 as the in-state rivalry continues for a fifth consecutive season, and the Lady Bears follow that with a trip to the Junkanoo Jam in Bimini, Bahamas, Nov. 23-25. MSU will play perennial national championship contender Baylor in the first round, and either 2017 WNIT runner-up Georgia Tech or two-time defending Ivy League champion Penn in the second game.
The Lady Bears will play a home-and-home series with Wichita State, heading to Wichita on Nov. 29 before the Shockers return to JQH eight days later. MSU’s remaining road games include visits to Little Rock on Dec. 4 and Alabama on Dec. 19. Little Rock won 25 games last season while the Crimson Tide finished 22-14. Alabama eliminated Little Rock from the WNIT in the second round last season before falling to Georgia Tech in the round of eight.
MSU wraps up the home schedule with a pair of rematches from last season, hosting Oral Roberts on Dec. 10 and Northwestern on Dec. 16. The Lady Bears will also take on Lindenwood on Nov. 5 in the lone exhibition contest of the year.
The Lady Bears return nine players from last season’s team that finished third in the MVC and advanced to the WNIT. Missouri State’s incoming freshman class for 2017-18 includes Abby Hipp(6-2, F, Kansas City, Mo., St. Pius X High), Elle Ruffridge (5-3, G, Pocahontas, Iowa, Pocahontas Area High), and Sydney Schultz (6-2, F, Aurora, Ill., Oswego East High).
