Boise State women’s hoops schedule features three NCAA tourney teams, with more possible
Coaches will say each season that their schedule is perhaps the toughest of their tenure, but Gordy Presnell has a case for his Boise State women’s basketball team.
Coming off a 28-5 campaign that included a third straight Mountain West Conference Tournament championship, the Broncos have the chance to play quite a few other teams that were in the NCAA Tournament in March.
Boise State released its 2019-20 nonconference schedule Tuesday, and it includes three tourney teams — at Louisville and at home against Portland State and BYU. As part of the WNIT field, if the Broncos beat Portland State, they could face more NCAA tourney teams.
“It’s a terrific schedule, it’s the hardest one we’ve ever had here,” said Presnell, entering his 15th season at the helm. “... It’s a great nonconference schedule, hopefully will prepare us for our conference season and help us with RPI.”
The Broncos entered the postseason No. 39 in the RPI but still earned only a 13 in the NCAA Tournament, and had to play Oregon State on its home floor, losing in overtime. There should be plenty of chances to post big wins next season. BYU is coming to Boise for the first time since 2001.
“We’ll see, but we’re loaded for bear on the schedule, hopefully it’ll work out,” Presnell said.
Boise State will open the season Nov. 2 at ExtraMile Arena in an exhibition against Concordia (Ore.), with its first regular season game Nov. 5 against Lewis-Clark State. A rematch with Washington State on Nov. 20 is also on the home slate — the Cougars upset the Broncos last season in Pullman, Wash.
The TCU game in Fort Worth, Texas, will be Nov. 30 or Dec. 1, as it could be picked up for national television, so the date is not set. The Broncos play a pair of Mountain West games in December, at home against New Mexico on Dec. 4 and at Colorado State on Dec. 7.
BOISE STATE MEN TO HOST BYU: Though the Boise State men’s basketball schedule is not complete, the school did announce Tuesday that it will host BYU on Nov. 20, the first time the two schools have met since December 2008. That means a doubleheader with the women, who play Washington State that day. Boise State will play at BYU during the 2020-21 season. A date has not been set.
BOISE STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2019-20 SCHEDULE
Nov. 2: CONCORDIA (ORE.) — exhibition
Nov. 5: LEWIS-CLARK STATE
Nov. 8: PORTLAND STATE — WNIT
Nov. 20: WASHINGTON STATE
Nov. 24: at Louisville
Nov. 26: UTAH VALLEY
Nov. 30 or Dec. 1: at TCU
Dec. 4: NEW MEXICO
Dec. 7: at Colorado State
Dec. 11: BYU
Dec. 15: at Eastern Washington
Dec. 22: WESTERN OREGON
Jan. 1: at Wyoming
Jan. 4: NEVADA
Jan. 8: at UNLV
Jan. 11: SAN DIEGO STATE
Jan. 15: AIR FORCE
Jan. 18: at Utah State
Jan. 25: FRESNO STATE
Jan. 29: at San Jose State
Feb. 1: at Nevada
Feb. 5: WYOMING
Feb. 8: UTAH STATE
Feb. 12: at Air Force
Feb. 15: at San Diego State
Feb. 19: SAN JOSE STATE
Feb. 22: at New Mexico
Feb. 24: UNLV
This story was originally published June 18, 2019 at 2:19 PM.
