A veteran UW-Platteville women's basketball team will face one of the school's strongest schedules in 2005-06, Pioneer Coach Tina Kuhle announced.
The Pioneers begin the season with an exhibition game at the University of Wisconsin and also travel to Lake Forest, Ill., and Thomas More, Ky., for in-season tournaments.
The Pioneers and Badgers hook up Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. in the Kohl Center for the exhibition contest. UW-Madison is coached by former UW-Eau Claire Coach Lisa Stone.
"We are very excited to be given the opportunity to compete against the Badgers," Kuhle said. "It will be great exposure for our women's program."
The Pioneers, with 11 returning letterwinners, open the regular season Nov. 18-19 at the Forester Tip-Off Tournament in Lake Forest. UWP begins with Concordia, Wis. The host Foresters play Concordia, Ill. in the other first-round game. Cuba City native Jackie Slaats has led Lake Forest to a 327-117 record in her 19 seasons.
"We are also very excited about the tip-off tournament in Lake Forest," Kuhle said. "Coach Slaats has always put together a top-notch tournament."
UWP renews its closely played series with St. Ambrose, traveling to Davenport, Iowa, Nov. 22. Four of the last five meetings have been decided by three points.
After playing Loras and Dubuque in the Mississippi River Challenge-- hosted by the University of Dubuque Nov. 25-26--the Pioneers make their home debut Nov. 30 vs. Augustana, Ill. at 6 p.m. The home opener is part of a doubleheader with the men's team, as the reigning Wisconsin Intercollegiate Conference champions face Elmhurst in the second game that night.
The Pioneers begin their WIAC battles Dec. 7 at UW-Stout in Menomonie. This year's league schedule will be played all on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the exception of a Tuesday, Jan. 3 home contest vs. UW-Oshkosh.
The other non-conference games are set in Kentucky, as UWP faces Earlham on Dec. 29 and Thomas More the next night. Thomas More edged the Pioneers 61-60 last season in Williams Fieldhouse.
"We are looking forward to traveling to Thomas More College over Christmas break," Kuhle said. "It will be a nice getaway for the team before coming back to school and continuing with the tough WIAC conference schedule.
The Pioneers are coming off a 13-13 season in Kuhle's first year as the head coach. Eleven of the 13 players return, including seniors Holly Kaiser (F, 13.7 ppg, all-WIAC), Michelle Hardyman (F, 6.4 ppg), Rachel Korth (G, 4.4 ppg), Emily Adrian (PG, 3.8 ppg), and Abby Lalko (G, 2.1 ppg). All but Hardyman, who missed three games with an injury, played in every contest. Junior center Liz Tesch (6.0 ppg) and sophomore guard Lisa Wubben (9.8 ppg) also return after playing in every game.
Kuhle is approaching a coaching milestone in 2005-06 as she has a 97-72 overall record, counting her six seasons at Clarke College. She guided the Pioneers to the championship of the eight-team Clarke College Holiday Tournament last year. In the title game, UWP beat previously undefeated Concordia, Neb., who went on to finish 31-5 and in the NAIA national semifinals.
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