![Redbird Arena](https://www.wjbc.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/389/2015/07/redbirdarenaB630.jpg)
By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – Illinois State women’s basketball coach Barb Smith announced the team’s 2015-16 non-conference schedule Wednesday.
ISU will play 11 games during the non-conference season, including five home contests and one exhibition game.
Illinois State is no stranger to a tough non-conference schedule, and the 2015-16 season will be no different. DePaul appeared in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round, after winning the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles.
“I like our non-conference schedule,” Smith said. “Opening on the road, at Bowling Green, will be a great challenge right from the tip. I am excited to see how far this young team can go this year. I love the work ethic and the competitiveness they have shown already.”
The Redbirds will open the regular season with a road game at Bowling Green (Nov. 13), before hosting Murray State (Nov. 18) and Illinois-Chicago (Nov. 23) at Redbird Arena.
“We play a lot of the local teams in the area,” Smith explained. “We also play a game in the Quad Cities, which gives our fans a preview of the iWireless Center with the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament moving there. We have some other games that will be fun trips for us, including a trip to San Antonio over Thanksgiving and Yale over winter break.”
Over the Nov. 27-29 weekend, Illinois State will travel to San Antonio, Texas, to take part in the four-team UT-San Antonio Tournament. ISU will face the Roadrunners (Nov. 27), as well as Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 29). From there, the Redbirds will return to Normal, Illinois, to play in-state rival SIUE (Dec. 1). Then, ISU will be on the road for three-straight contests, taking on DePaul (Dec. 5), then Northern Illinois (Dec. 13) at the iWireless Center, followed by a trip to Yale (Dec. 16). Illinois State will return home to host Chicago State (Dec. 21), before Western Illinois (Dec. 28) closes out the non-conference schedule.
Before the regular season gets underway, ISU will host Lindenwood (Nov. 4) in an exhibition matchup. Game times, as well as the Missouri Valley Conference schedule, will be announced at a later date.