The University of Northern Iowa women’s basketball team started practice Oct. 16 and is looking to improve upon their 11-19 record and sixth place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference from a year ago.
“Obviously we’re very excited to start practice,” said head coach Tanya Warren. “We’re as healthy as we’ve been in a long time and we’re just finishing up about five to six weeks of pre-season practice. We’re just ready to get together and really start to implement some things we’re looking to do this season.”
UNI was plagued by injuries a year ago and still managed to finish a respectable 9-9 in conference play. Senior forward Kim Wypiszynski was tabbed the league's “Newcomer of the Year” last season, and she earned second-team all-conference honors. Panther guard K.K. Armstrong was named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s all-freshman team. UNI also finished with the sixth-highest GPA among Division I teams last season.
The Panthers will face six teams that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago and three more that made the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. The 2009-2010 slate opens with a Nov. 13 match-up against North Dakota State University in the McLeod Center. UNI will then travel to face Big 12 opponent University of Missouri Nov. 15 before returning to the home to host in-state rival University of Iowa Nov. 22.
The Panthers will spend Thanksgiving break in Cancun, Mexico, facing the 2009 national runner-up University of Louisville and Butler University in the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 27 and 28.
UNI play at Northern Illinois University Dec. 2 and at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Dec. 5 before returning home for contests against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of South Dakota Dec. 10 and 13.
The Panthers wrap up their non-conference schedule with a pair of road games against Iowa State University, who made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament a year ago and South Dakota State University Dec. 20 and 28.
The Panthers will then start Missouri Valley Conference play, which includes home and away contests with the nine other league teams on Dec. 31 when they play at Wichita State University.
UNI will compete for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament when it plays in the 2010 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
Women’s Basketball warms up for 2009-10 season
Published: Monday, October 26, 2009
Updated: Monday, October 26, 2009
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