AU women’s basketball releases 2008-09 schedule

By OANow Staff

Published: August 25, 2008

The Auburn women’s basketball team ended last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first NCAA tourney appearance in four years.
The Tigers, who released their schedule Monday, hope to finish even better this year.

The path to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament starts Nov. 14, when AU opens the season at Alabama A&M. The next game is the home opener against Temple on Nov. 17.

The Owls also lost in the first round of last year’s NCAA tourney. Temple is one of eight NCAA Tournament teams on this year’s schedule.

That list also includes George Washington, which eliminated Auburn from the NCAA Tournament with a 66-56 first-round win, then advanced to the Sweet 16. The two teams play Dec. 19 in Washington, D.C., their fourth meeting in three seasons.

Among the other non-conference highlights are a Nov. 23 home game against Ohio State and a Dec. 29-30 trip to Miami, Fla., for the University of Miami’s Christmas tournament.

AU begins its Southeastern Conference schedule Jan. 8 at South Carolina, then returns home to face Florida on Jan. 11. The Tigers’ home SEC slate includes two-time defending national champion Tennessee on Jan. 25. The road schedule features trips to face NCAA Tournament teams Georgia, LSU and Vanderbilt.

The SEC Tournament will be held at Alltell Arena in North Little Rock, Ark.

Auburn returns four starters from last year’s team, including All-SEC forward DeWanna Bonner and standout guard Sherell Hobbs — both seniors — and point guard Ali Smalley, an SEC All-Freshman selection last year. AU also returns senior point guard Whitney
Boddie, who missed the second half of the season after being ruled academically ineligible.

The season unofficially begins with two home exhibition games, Nov. 2 against Samford and Nov. 9 against Anderson University.

Season ticket packages will be on sale starting Oct. 1.

2008-2009 Women’s Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent
Nov. 2 Samford University#
Nov. 9 Anderson University#
Nov. 14 at Alabama A&M
Nov. 17 Temple
Nov. 19 at Georgia Southern
Nov. 23 Ohio State
Nov. 26 at UAB
Nov. 29-30 at Florida International Tournament
Dec. 3 North Carolina A&T
Dec. 5 Sam Houston State
Dec. 7 at Liberty
Dec. 19 at George Washington
Dec. 21 at Coppin State
Dec. 29-30 at Miami Christmas Tournament
Jan. 3 Stephen F. Austin$
Jan. 8 at South Carolina*
Jan. 11 Florida*
Jan. 18 at Arkansas*
Jan. 22 Alabama*
Jan. 25 Tennessee*
Jan. 29 at Georgia*
Feb. 1 at LSU*
Feb. 5 Mississippi*
Feb. 8 at Alabama*
Feb. 12 Kentucky*
Feb. 15 at Mississippi State*
Feb. 19 at Vanderbilt*
Feb. 22 Georgia *
Mar. 1 Arkansas*
Mar. 5-8 at SEC Tournament%
# Exhibition game
at Miami, Fla.
$ Doubleheader with AU men’s team
* Southeastern Conference game
% at North Little Rock, Ark.