LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola women's basketball coach Ken Crawford has put together a formidable schedule for the 2007-08 campaign which includes a trip to Tennessee and 10 games against teams from last season's NAIA tournament.
The Eagles non-conference schedule is a tough one and opens with games at the Holy Names Tournament in Oakland on Nov. 2-3. Biola's first opponent is Westminster College (Utah), which was ranked in the NAIA Top-25 off and on last season and finished 29th in the final rankings.
The following weekend, the Eagles fly to McKenzie, Tenn. to face Bethel College (Tenn.) and William Baptist College (Ark.) in the Bethel Tournament on Nov. 9-10.
Biola' returns home to Chase Gymnasium for an exhibition contest against the Melbourne Roos from Australia on Monday, Nov. 12. The official home opener is on Thursday, Nov. 15, against Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)
The Eagles' schedule also includes a home contest against NCAA Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday, Dec. 15. The Toros are coming off an impressive season which saw them reach the NCAA DII West Region Playoffs for the second time in three years.
Biola also takes on the winner of last year's NCAA DII West Regional, UC San Diego, in an exhibition game on Oct. 27.
“This year's non-conference schedule is a challenging one,” said Crawford. “Once again we will be playing top level competition with the expectation that it will help us get ready for the always-tough GSAC.”
The Eagles open in the Golden State Athletic Conference with a pair of road games, traveling to San Diego Christian on Tuesday, Nov. 20, and Hope International on Nov. 27. Their first home contest pits the Eagles against Point Loma Nazarene on Thursday, Nov. 29.
Ten of Biola's 20 GSAC games will come against teams from the 2006-07 NAIA National Tournament including the season finale versus arch-rival Azusa Pacific on Monday, March 3. Other tournament teams from the GSAC include Vanguard, ranked No. 1 most of the 2006-07 season, The Master's College, Westmont, and Point Loma Nazarene.
“This year's team has worked hard to get ready for the upcoming season,” said Crawford. “This schedule will allow us to challenge ourselves against tough opponents that represent some of the stronger programs in the NAIA and the NCAA.”
Biola returns a strong group from last season's team that went 10-19 overall and 6-14 in GSAC play including NAIA All-American Megann Alberts, who averaged 19.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest.
