Lady'Backs announce full 2005-06 basketball schedule

FAYETTEVILLE – With the completion of the Southeastern Conference portion of the 2005-06 schedule, the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team is ready to begin its 30th season of varsity play. Lady Razorback head coach Susie Gardner is pleased with the schedule, and eager to begin full practice in mid-October. “We’re looking forward to this year,” Gardner said. “There’s a lot of home games in the preseason, and I’ve learned to appreciate Bud Walton Arena.” Arkansas opens at home on Nov. 21 with Memphis, and plays five more games at Walton Arena in late November and early December. The Lady’Backs open the regular season in Dallas against Southern Methodist on Nov. 18. “I know Dallas is important to Arkansas fans, and it’s a great chance to take Rochelle (Vaughn) home for her senior year,” Gardner said. Vaughn, a senior on the court, begins graduate school this fall, and is one of six senior players on the 2005-06 team. The Lady’Backs make their first-ever visit to the state of Oregon with a Thanksgiving trip to face Oregon on Nov. 25 and Portland State on Nov. 26. Arkansas closes the non-conference slate with the Florida International Fun & Sun Classic on Dec. 29-30. “The team is excited about seeing a new part of the country when we go to Oregon, and the trip to Miami will be a great holiday break tournament,” Gardner said. While Arkansas released its non-conference schedule several weeks ago, the SEC finalized the 14-game conference portion of the Lady’Back schedule on Friday. “The first thing people will notice is the change in SEC games, and it gives us a different look,” Gardner said. “But in this league, whoever you play twice is tough.” The conference schedule rotates in the 2005-06 season with the Lady’Backs swapping Ole Miss for Miss State as Arkansas’ Western Division home-and-home and Vanderbilt replacing Tennessee as the Eastern Division partner. Arkansas’ permanent travel partner remains LSU. Arkansas opens league play on the road against its new Western Division rotator at Starkville, Miss., on Jan. 5, then returns to Bud Walton Arena to host the East rotator Commodores on Sunday, Jan. 8. The Lady’Backs’ seven home SEC games include Auburn on Jan. 12, the return game with Miss State on Jan. 26, the Florida Gators on Jan. 26, Final Four LSU on Feb. 2, Kentucky on Feb. 12 and Senior Night with Georgia on Feb. 23. The SEC Tournament returns to ALLTEL Arena in North Little Rock on March 4-7 to close the season. Season tickets for Lady Razorback basketball go on sale in late October, and fans interested in tickets for the SEC Tournament can also purchase them through the Lady Razorback Ticket Office. For more information about Arkansas women’s basketball or tickets to Lady’Back games, go on-line at LADYBACKS.COM.