ESPN3 Appearance Highlights Women's Basketball Opening Weekend
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ - The 2010-11 MAAC Women's Basketball season gets underway this weekend, beginning with nine non-conference match-ups on Friday, November 12.
Five-time defending MAAC champions Marist will start its campaign against emerging BIG EAST power #14/16 St. John's in the Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic. The Red Foxes will then play either hosts Kansas State or Grambling on Saturday. Loyola will also begin its season against a BIG EAST foe, taking on #11/11 West Virginia in Morgantown live on ESPN3 at 7:00 p.m.
Fairfield, Conn. will be the site of two MAAC-NEC games on Friday night as Fairfield hosts local rival Quinnipiac and Saint Peter's visits Sacred Heart. Manhattan will also open against an NEC opponent as the Lady Jaspers make the short trip to Brooklyn Heights to take on St. Francis (N.Y.).
Canisius and Niagara will open its seasons in Western New York, hosting Kent State and Illinois-Chicago respectively. The other two Friday games feature MAAC schools against Patriot League opposition. Rider will travel to Pennsylvania to take on Bucknell, while Siena hosts Navy.
Iona will meet Charlotte, picked fourth in the Atlantic-10, in a Preseason WNIT contest on Saturday in North Carolina. The Gaels-49ers winner will meet the winner of Florida vs. UCF in the second round. The losing team will be re-grouped in an eight team consolation bracket.
Sunday sees Rider travel to Penn State, who received votes in the Preseason AP Poll, while Loyola plays host to La Salle.
The 2010-11 MAAC Women's Basketball Digital Publication can be seen here.