THE FLATS – Eight home games, a return trip to the Junkanoo Jam, a Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup against Purdue and a visit to Southeastern Conference foe Georgia highlight the 2017-18 Georgia Tech women’s basketball non-conference schedule released today.
With a slate scheduled to face eight opponents that reached postseason play in 2017, the Jackets will head into Atlantic Coast Conference play with a strong set of non-conference tilts already played. Tech opens the 2017-18 season with an exhibition contest in McCamish Pavilion against Union University (Tenn.) on Nov. 5.
“We are looking forward to the challenges of a tough non-conference schedule,” noted head coach MaChelle Joseph. “We will face eight teams that were in the post season a year ago and we have a great opportunity in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge hosting Purdue at McCamish on Nov. 30. With the competitive schedule in place in the Bahamas facing Penn and Baylor or Missouri State, we will be challenged early on.”
The season officially kicks off on the road with the Jackets visiting Appalachian State on Nov. 10 before Tech opens the home slate hosting South Carolina State and Kennesaw State on Nov. 12 and 15, respectively. Tech will meet its first 2017 postseason team when it takes a trip to Princeton on Nov. 19. The Tigers wrapped up the 2016-17 season with a 16-14 overall record and a berth to the WNIT. Cross-town foe Georgia State will visit McCamish Pavilion on Nov. 21 before the Jackets prepare to head to the Bahamas.
Tech will wrap-up the non-conference slate facing seven postseason participants in the final eight games beginning in Bimini, Bahamas.
Awaiting the defending Freeport Division Junkanoo Jam champions in the Bahamas are two postseason teams from last season. Tech will open the Thanksgiving tournament on Nov. 23 facing Penn, the 2017 Ivy League Tournament Champions and NCAA Tournament participant. The Quakers finished the Ivy League slate dropping just one contest last season and fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Texas A&M. In the second game, to be played on Nov. 24 or 25, Tech will face either Baylor, an Elite Eight NCAA participant, or Missouri State, which earned a berth into the WNIT last season.
Upon returning from the Bahamas, the Jackets will host Purdue for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 30 in McCamish Pavilion. The meeting marks the third all-time between programs and second in the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Purdue nearly upset ACC foe Notre Dame in the 2017 NCAA tournament, but ultimately fell to the Fighting Irish in the second round.
Tech will host four non-conference foes in McCamish Pavilion in December and make just one trip to in-state rival Georgia. The Jackets open the month hosting MTSU (Dec. 3) and UT Arlington (Dec. 10). Last season, Tech defeated MTSU twice — once in the regular season and again in the third round of the WNIT. After breaking for final exams, the Jackets will host UT Arlington for just the second meeting in program history on Dec. 10. The Mavericks went 22-9 overall last season and fell in the first round of the WNIT to Tulane.
The Jackets will take a brief break from The Flats to visit SEC opponent Georgia on Dec. 17 before returning home to conclude the non-conference slate hosting Charleston Southern (Dec. 19) and Southern Miss (Dec. 21). Tech’s final two out-of-conference opponents each reached postseason play last season in the WBI and WNIT, respectively.
“We have a special senior class and we look forward to drawing from our WNIT championship final run to catapult us into 2017-18,” Joseph said.
Season tickets packages are currently on sale for the 2017-18 season and begin at just $65. For more information on season tickets, please visit RamblinWreck.com or call the Georgia Tech Ticket Office at (404) 894-5447.
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