LADY PIRATES RELEASE HOOPS SCHEDULE
Maurice D. Williams 08/11/09

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team released its 2009-2010 schedule on Monday, a slate that features two in-season tournaments and at least 14 non-conference foes.

“We have a very challenging schedule,” interim head coach David Six said. “We have a young team, but I think we’re athletic and talented enough to be successful.”

The Lady Pirates will open their campaign Nov. 19 at home against William & Mary, before UNC-Wilmington comes to the Convocation Center on Nov. 22. The Lady Pirates will then hit the road on Nov. 24 for a game at Richmond, before heading to Dallas, Texas Nov. 27-28 for the Southern Methodist Tournament.

After the Lady Pirates open MEAC play at Howard on Dec. 5, they’ll return home on Dec. 8 to take on Temple. East Carolina will come to the Convocation Center for a Dec. 12 match-up, before the Lady Pirates cross the James River into Norfolk on Dec. 20 to take on Old Dominion.

Radford will pay the Lady Pirates a visit on Dec. 23, then the team will travel to Miami, Fla. on Dec. 29-30 for the Florida International Tournament along with FIU, Bryant and Georgia Tech to close out their non-conference slate.

“With our youth, every night is something new,” Six said. “With these tournaments, we have the chance to face up to five teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season, and it gives us a chance to do things outside the MEAC.”

The bulk of the conference schedule will kick off on Jan. 9, when the Lady Pirates will host Coppin State, with Morgan State following on Jan. 11. The team will take to the road on Jan. 16 and 18 for dates at Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T, before returning home Jan. 23 and 25 to take on Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M.

Four straight road games then await the Lady Pirates – at Delaware State on Jan. 30, at Maryland-Eastern Shore on Feb. 1, at South Carolina State on Feb. 6 and at Winston-Salem State on Feb. 8. Norfolk State will then come to the Convocation Center on Feb. 13, with North Carolina A&T following on Feb. 15.

Hampton will head to Florida to take on Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 20 and Florida A&M on Feb. 22, before returning home for a Feb. 27 date against Delaware State and March 4 against Howard.

The 2010 MEAC Basketball Championships will be held March 8-13 in Winston-Salem, N.C.