Hosting a Preseason WNIT game and Auburn at the Cajundome, a trip to Las Vegas and a matchup with last season’s national runner-up Mississippi State highlight the 2017-18 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball non-conference schedule released Wednesday.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will play a minimum of 12 non-conference games in addition to the previously released 18-game Sun Belt Conference schedule. Tip-off times for all games will be announced at a later date.
Season ticket holders from the 2016-17 season can expect to receive their renewal letters in the coming weeks.
“We’re excited that we have the opportunity to not only be a part of the Preseason WNIT field, but also to host a first round game at the Cajundome,” Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball head coach Garry Brodhead said. “With Texas A&M as a possible second round opponent there’s a chance we could face three SEC schools in non-conference play.
“We’re going to see a lot of different styles of basketball which is what we need,” Brodhead added. “This schedule will prepare us for an always tough conference schedule.”
After exhibitions with LSU-Alexandria (Oct. 31) and Xavier (Nov. 4), Louisiana opens the season hosting New Orleans in the first round of the Preseason WNIT at the Cajundome on Friday, Nov. 10. The 7 p.m. contest with the Privateers is the first of three guaranteed games in the event.
Round two of the Preseason WNIT, in which the Ragin’ Cajuns will face either Houston or Texas A&M, is slated for Nov. 12-13. The semifinals are set for Nov. 16 and the championship game is scheduled for Nov. 19 and will televised live on the CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. (CST).
The Ragin’ Cajuns head out west Thanksgiving week for the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, Nev., at the South Point Hotel Arena. Louisiana is scheduled to face Niagara on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. (CST) and Cleveland Sate on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 1:15 p.m. (CST).
The season’s opening month wraps up in Jackson, Miss., for a meeting with 2016-17 NCAA Final Four participant, and national runner-up, Mississippi State on Nov. 29.
A three-game homestand follows, starting Dec. 3 against I-10 neighbor McNeese. SEC-member Auburn visits the Cajundome on Dec. 8 and the three-game run finishes with a visit from Southern-New Orleans on Dec. 12.
The Ragin’ Cajuns visit Hammond for a meeting with Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 16 before closing out non-conference play on Dec. 20 against Alcorn State in the annual Education Game.
Following the break for the Christmas holidays, Louisiana opens Sun Belt Conference play with the Arkansas road trip Dec. 29-31. This season, the SBC has returned to a Thursday-Saturday doubleheader format for the entire 18-game slate.
