Of WKU’s first 10 games, seven could potentially be against teams from the 2006 NCAA Tournament field. Games with Louisiana Tech, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Florida Atlantic, Louisville and Middle Tennessee are guaranteed during that stretch, and Rutgers could be the seventh depending on the outcome of opening-round games at the 2006 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam at the University of the Virgin Islands.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to do putting together another really competitive schedule,” said Lady Topper head coach Mary Taylor Cowles. “When you look at what the teams on our schedule have been able to accomplish, it makes it that much more exciting for our young ladies every time we step out on the court. We recruit the type of players that want to play against the best, and I’m confident we’ll be ready to face the challenges our schedule provides us.”
Cowles and the Lady Toppers take the court for the first time on Oct. 31 when they host Kentucky State in the lone exhibition game of the season. Eleven days later, WKU will get the ’06-07 regular-season underway when it travels to Ruston, La., to take on long-time rival Louisiana Tech (Nov. 11) before returning home to face a second straight 2006 NCAA Tournament team when Vanderbilt visits E.A. Diddle Arena Nov. 16 for the 24th annual BB&T Classic game.
Following a home game with Murray State on Nov. 20, the Lady Toppers head to the Virgin Islands for the 2006 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas. WKU opens the event against Arizona State on Nov. 24, then will face either Penn State or Rutgers the following day in the championship and consolation rounds of the event. A road contest at Morehead State on Nov. 29 closes out the first month of the season.
December begins with the first Sun Belt Conference game of the season when WKU travels to league newcomer Florida Atlantic on the 2nd. In fact, the only nonconference game of the month will happen a week later when the Lady Toppers visit Louisville on Dec. 9. The pre-Christmas slate wraps up with South Alabama visiting Diddle Arena on Dec. 17 and, after a 10-day break, league games at Middle Tennessee (Dec. 27) and at home against North Texas (Dec. 30) close out the 2006 portion of the schedule.
WKU will kick off 2007 with three straight home games, hosting IUPUI (Jan. 2), Troy (Jan. 4) and South Dakota State (Jan. 7). The rest of the schedule will be against SBC teams, beginning with a road game at Florida International on Jan. 11 — which joined WKU in the 2006 Women’s National Invitation Tournament field. The remainder of the January schedule will put the Lady Toppers up against teams from the SBC West Division, with home games against Louisiana-Lafayette (Jan. 14) and New Orleans (Jan. 20), and road contests at Arkansas-Little Rock (Jan.18), Arkansas State (Jan. 24) and Denver (Jan. 27).
The final month of the regular season gets underway as league newcomer Louisiana-Monroe visits Diddle Arena on Feb. 1. After a road game at North Texas two days later, WKU closes out the regular season against the other five member of the East Division. It travels to South Alabama on Feb. 7 before returning home to host Middle Tennessee (Feb. 11) and Florida Atlantic (Feb. 15). The Lady Toppers then travel to Troy on Feb. 17, then close out the regular-season with a Senior Night contest against Florida International on Feb. 24.
The opening round of the 2007 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Tournament will take place on campus sites on Feb. 28. The winner of each division and the school with the next best league record will receive a bye, with the remaining teams meeting on the home court of the higher seed. Winners of those opening-round games will join the three schools with byes in Lafayette, La., for the remainder of the tournament March 3-6.
“Coach Cowles has once again constructed an outstanding schedule in keeping with the nationally-competitive program she has established in her four seasons as head coach,” said WKU Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig. “Our fans are in for a real treat this season every night they come to Diddle Arena.”
The Lady Toppers — who were ranked 25th in the recent Athlon Sports preseason poll — are coming off their fourth straight 20-win season under Cowles in 2005-06, finishing 27-7. The also went 12-2 in the Sun Belt to capture their fourth straight Sun Belt East Division championship. WKU went on to the postseason for the 22nd time in the last 23 years, advancing to the semifinals of the WNIT for the first time in school history.
