Orono, Maine -- On Monday, July 18, the University of Maine women's basketball team announced its 2016-17 non-conference regular season schedule. Maine will officially open its 2016-17 slate on Saturday, Nov. 11 when it hosts Purdue in game one of a tip-off tournament which will also feature Villanova and Mississippi St.

"We are very excited about our non-conference schedule," said head coach Richard Barron. "We will certainly be tested as this will be one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. I know our fans will enjoy having such a strong field in our tip-off tournament as well. There is no question that we will be well prepared for America East play."

This year's non-conference schedule features games against four schools which made the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in 2015-16 (Mississippi St., Purdue, South Carolina, UT-Chattanooga) and could feature a fifth if Maine should meet Miami in tournament action. The Black Bears will play at South Carolina, which has led the country in home attendance for two-straight years after averaging 14,364 fans last season, and ended last year ranked No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll.

Maine will play four regular season, non-conference games and one exhibition at Cross Insurance Center where it went a perfect 12-0 a season ago and looks to build on a 19-game home win streak.

Maine will host Stonehill on Oct. 30 in exhibition action at the Cross Insurance Center before officially opening the regular season at home against Purdue in round one of the 2016 Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 11. The Black Bears follow by hosting either Villanova or Mississippi St. the next day. After a trip to Ivy League member Harvard on Nov. 15, Maine returns back to non-conference tournament action with the previously released 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge. As part of that tournament, the Black Bears will take on St. Peters, South Carolina and Hampton all in Columbia, S.C. (Nov. 20-22) before finishing tournament play at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass against UT-Chattanooga (Nov. 27).

Maine looks for its second win in as many years against Clemson of the Atlantic Coast Conference when it travels to take on the Tigers on Dec. 2. The Black Bears are back at the Cross Insurance Center on Dec. 7 (Northeastern) and Dec. 10 (Dartmouth) before closing out non-conference play with a four-game road swing.

A date at Bryant falls on Dec. 17 before Maine competes in its third non-conference tournament, this time at Miami. The Black Bears will open this tournament action against either Coppin State or East Tennessee State University on Dec. 19. Maine's opponent on Dec. 20 will depend on game one results. The Black Bears take on Tulane in New Orleans on Dec. 28 before closing non-conference action with a stop at Boston College on Dec. 30.

All times for non-conference games will be announced at a later date. Ticket information will be released soon!

 

DATE	OPPONENT
Oct. 30	STONEHILL^
Nov. 11	PURDUE
Nov. 12	VILLANOVA/MISSISSIPPI ST.
Nov. 15	at Harvard
Nov. 20	vs. St. Peters#
Nov. 21	at South Carolina#
Nov. 22	vs. Hampton#
Nov. 27	vs. UT-Chattanooga+
Dec. 2	at Clemson
Dec. 7	NORTHEASTERN
Dec. 10	DARTMOUTH
Dec. 17	at Bryant
Dec. 19	vs. Coppin St./East Tennessee State University%
Dec. 20	vs. TBA%
Dec. 28	at Tulane
Dec. 30	at Boston College

Home games in BOLD CAPS
^ - Exhibition
# - Hall of Fame Challenge in Columbia, S.C.
+ - Hall of Fame Challenege in Springfield, MA
% - Miami Tournament

-UMaine-