For
Immediate Release: August 15, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of
Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240
LADY BRONCS SLATE 14 HOME GAMES, SOLID
SCHEDULE IN 2002-03
EDINBURG, TX– Fifteen home dates, including a game
at South Padre Island, and several tough road games, including a trip to
a prestigious holiday tournament, are among the highlights of The
University of Texas-Pan American’s 2002-2003 women’s basketball
schedule.
The Lady Broncs, who have four home dates at both
the beginning and the end of the schedule, will begin the year by
hosting the Houston Jaguars in an exhibition game Sunday, November 10th
before opening the regular season with three consecutive home games.
Texas-Pan American hosts Texas-Arlington of the Southland Conference
Monday, November 25th, plays Lone Star Conference foe Angelo
State at home two nights later, and hosts Western Athletic Conference
opponent Tulsa Saturday, November 30th.
UT Pan American will play at South Padre Island
December 14th, against Big Sky opponent Northern Arizona. The
game will be played at the South Padre Island Convention Center.
UTPA will also close the regular season at home.
The Lady Broncs will host Louisiana-Lafayette of the Sun Belt February
15th, fellow independents Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne February
18th and Lipscomb February 20th, and Incarnate
Word of the Heartland Conference February 25th. The ULL game
will be the first game of a doubleheader, with the Broncs playing Texas
A&M-Corpus Christi in the second game. The UIW game will be Senior
Night, and Texas-Pan American’s graduating seniors will be honored.
NCAA Tournament participant Mississippi State of the Southeastern
Conference and perennial powers Utah of the Mountain West Conference and
Montana of the Big Sky will join the Lady Broncs at the Lady Griz
Holiday Classic in Missoula, Montana December 28th and 29th.
UTPA will visit the Pacific Northwest on their first road trip, against
West Coast Conference foe Gonzaga and Eastern Washington of the Big Sky
December 5th and 6th. The Lady Broncs will also
face Big 12 opponents Baylor and Nebraska on the road, visiting the
Bears December 16th and the Huskers January 5th.
A busy month that will see the Lady Broncs play 11
games, six of them away from home will see UTPA visit Sun Belt foes New
Mexico State January 18th, Arkansas State January 21st and
Arkansas-Little Rock January 23rd. UT Pan American will play
at Mid-Continent Conference opponent Oral Roberts January 28th.
The Lady Broncs will also play four road games against fellow
independent schools, visiting Lipscomb January 11th,
Centenary February 1st, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi February 8th
and Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne February 13th.
Other visitors to the UTPA
Fieldhouse include Mountain West Conference opponent Air Force,
Binghamton of the America East Conference and Southwestern Athletic
Conference for Prairie View A&M in January, and Midwestern State of the
Lone Star Conference December 21st.
“I think it’s a very impressive schedule, especially with our home
games, the fact we’re playing Baylor and Nebraska on the road, and our
participation in the Montana tournament,” said UTPA Head Women’s
Basketball Coach Tracy Anderson. “It’s a difficult schedule, with a lot
of high quality teams. I’m very excited about starting off at home.
Playing UTA will be a good early test and will allow us to see where we
are. It will be fun to showcase our team on South Padre Island, when we
play Northern Arizona. It will be fun for both teams to be there, and it
will give people on the eastern side of the Rio Grande Valley a chance
to watch us play.”
With the quality of UTPA’s opponents, Anderson is
glad that the Lady Broncs will finish their season at home. “The last
four games at home will be big,” said Anderson. “If you can end your
season on a winning note, it gives you a lot of momentum for your team,
and a lot of momentum for the following year. We have some very
challenging games, including our trip to Gonzaga and Eastern Washington,
when we have to play back to back. January will probably be our biggest
test because we have 11 games in that month. We have some great matchups
this year. Hopefully, people will come out, see the hard work our
players have put in, and enjoy watching us play.”
2002-2003 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
SCHEDULE |