NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball head coach Kristen Gillespie has announced the 2019-20 Redbird non-conference schedule, which features seven home games at the newly renovated Redbird Arena and four against in-state opponents.
"I am excited about our challenging non-conference schedule," Gillespie said. "We have the opportunity to play four in-state schools and BIG EAST powerhouse Marquette, with the hopes of establishing exciting rivalries with each program. I think our balance of home and away games will help us prepare for the battles that we will face in the Valley."
The Redbirds will host Lindenwood in an exhibition contest on Oct. 30, before opening the regular season at home against Truman Sate on Nov. 5. The Bulldogs finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 21-8 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament, falling to No. 3 seed Grand Valley State in the first round.
A couple tough road contests will follow at Marquette on Nov. 10 and at in-state foe Illinois on Nov. 16. Marquette went 27-8 last season on way to the NCAA Tournament, where it won a first-round matchup against Rice before ultimately losing in the second round to Texas A&M. The Illini and the Redbirds will meet for the first time since 2012 to renew a series that dates back to 1976.
ISU then returns home for a Nov. 20 matchup against Northern Illinois, before heading back on the road and facing North Dakota on Nov. 24. Following a brief holiday break, the team will return to action on Nov. 30, when the Redbirds host UT-Martin at Redbird Arena. The Skyhawks are coming off a 23-9 season and a trip to the OVC Tournament finals, where they were defeated by NCAA Tournament participant Belmont. ISU will wrap up the quick homestand on Dec. 4 against another in-state foe in Western Illinois.
A road tilt at Saint Louis on Dec. 8 will follow, before ISU returns home to host SIUE on Dec. 16 and Jackson State on Dec. 19. The final non-conference matchup for the Redbirds takes place on the road on Dec. 29 against Austin Peay, before Missouri Valley Conference play begins in January.
Illinois State brings back nine returners from last year's 19-12 team, including 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-MVC selection TeTe Maggett. Six newcomers have joined the program, which got a head start on the 2019-20 season with a summer overseas trip to Italy.
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