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The Rice Thresher
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by Jason Gershman thresher editorial staff As if losing four key players wasn't bad enough, the women's basketball team will face an additional challenge this season - the toughest schedule in Lady Owl history. The excitement begins tonight, when Rice hosts the University of South Carolina in the opening round of the preseason Women's National Invitational Tournament. By the time the regular season ends in March, the Lady Owls will have faced at least four teams that played in last year's NCAA Tournament and at least two more that played in last year's postseason WNIT. But head coach Cristy McKinney said the schedule will be a benefit as her team looks to continue its rise to national prominence. "I firmly believe that playing good teams early will help our team in conference play and in the conference tournament down the stretch," McKinney said. "We're not playing those teams expecting to get our tails whipped. We want to compete at that next level and we think we can do it." If the Lady Owls defeat the Gamecocks tonight, they will likely face perennial powerhouse Louisiana Tech University, ranked eighth in the nation, in the second round Sunday. The Lady Techsters, who advanced to the Elite Eight last March, will join the WAC in the 2001-'02 season. Perhaps the biggest test for Rice will come in the final week of December, just before conference play begins. Over the course of four days, the Lady Owls will face No. 13 Texas Tech University and fifth-ranked University of Notre Dame. Rice hosts the Lady Raiders on Dec. 28, then goes to South Bend, Ind. to close non-conference play against the Fighting Irish, who are expected to contend for the national title. Rice opens Western Athletic Cnference play on Jan 5. at Fresno State University and concludes it by hosting the Bulldogs March 3. Then comes the WAC Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., March 6-10. By that time, the Lady Owls hope that their challenging schedule will have them ready to repeat as WAC champions. "We worked hard last year and I don't feel like anything was given to us," sophomore point guard Kim Lawson said. "We felt like we deserved to win. We worked hard this year in the preseason and will be working hard all year long. When it comes to WAC Tournament time, we should be ready to win it again."
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