Game Day! Schedule and overview of today’s top 25 games

Top 25 Games || TV Schedule || WNIT|| Full Schedule of all Division I teams

Friday, November 13, 2009
4:30 PM ET
(11) Xavier vs USC, Galen Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
Audio: goxavier.com Video: usctrojans.com
Xavier begins the season ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. Probable starters: Special Jennings, Tyeasha Moss, April Phillips, Amber Harris, Ta’Shia Phillips. Head coach: Kevin McGuff.
USC’s 2009-10 season is the debut of NBA legend and former Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper’s collegiate coaching career. USC is unranked in the national preseason polls. Probable starters: Hailey Dunham, Briana Gilbreath, Aarika Hughes, Ashley Corral, Kari LaPlante.

5:00 PM ET
Eastern Ill vs (3) Ohio St. (Preseason WNIT game), St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Audio: WOSU 820-AM and www.WEIUhitmix.net, Video: www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Friday will be the first meeting between Ohio State and Eastern Illinois. Ohio State has won its last 14 regular-season openers and have not lost an opener since 1994. Ohio State is 34-10 all-time in season openers. Probable starters: Sarah Schulze, Jantel Lavender, Samantha Prahalis, Tayler Hill, Brittany Johnson, Head Coach: Jim Foster.
Eastern Illinois is recovering from last week’s unexpected death of assistant Jackie Moore at the age of 28. Eastern will be wearing memorial “J.M.” patches on its jerseys this season. Probable starters: Maggie Kloak, Chantelle Pressley, Dominique Sims, Ashley Thomas, Ta’Kenya Nixon. Head Coach: Brady Sallee.
There are 16 teams participating in the 2009 Preseason WNIT. Nine of those 20 teams, including EIU and OSU, won 20-plus games last season. The eight teams that lose their opening-round games Friday will be regrouped into two, four-team consolation pods. Two teams will be selected to host those consolation pods next weekend, Nov. 20-21.

7:00 PM ET
(14) Virginia vs UMBC, RAC Arena , Baltimore, Maryland
Radio: Fox 1370 AM Video: UMBCRetrievers.tv , Live Stats
Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan begins her 33rd season looking for career win No. 700. Virginia is ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press preseason top 25. This is the first time Virginia has opened the season on the road since 2006-07. Senior guard Monica Wright opens the season needing 330 points to break Dawn Staley’s all-time career scoring record at UVa (2,135 points). Probable starters: China Crosby, Whitny Edwards, Simone Egwu, Monica Wright, Chelsea Shine.
The UMBC Retrievers returning all five starters and faces a tough non-conference slate that includes three games against major conference opponents in Virginia, West Virginia and Virginia Tech. Probable starters: Carlee Cassidy, Meghan Colabella, Michelle Kurowski, Katie Brooks, Topé Obajolu. Head coach: Phil Stern.

(10) Michigan St. vs Dayton, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Webcast: BigTenNetwork.com and www.DaytonFlyers.com, Live Stats
The Flyers are coming off the first postseason win in the program’s history and went 21-14 last season. Dayton was selected to finish tied for third in the 2009-10 Atlantic 10 women’s basketball preseason poll. The preseason A-10 ranking is the highest ever for the Flyers. Head Coach: Jim Jabir.

College Of Charleston vs (5) North Carolina, Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Stats/Audio: tarheelblue.com and cofcsports.com (College of Charleston)
The College of Charleston Cougars were picked to finish third in the Southern Conference. The last meeting between the two schools came Nov. 27, 2007, with UNC coming away with the 102-58 win in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels own the all-time series, 9-1. Probable starters: Ericka Williams, Jade Hughes, Tonia Gerty, Deidra Jones, Brooke Kotcella. Head coach: Nancy Wilson.
The Tar Heels will look to post their ninth straight win in a season opener Friday night. Carolina’s overall home record since the beginning of the 2004-05 season is 84-3. North Carolina is ranked No. 5 in both the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. Head coach: Sylvia Hatchell.

(2) Stanford vs Old Dominion, Ted Constant Convocation Center, Norfolk, Virginia
Audio/Video: Monarch TV Live Stats: Gametracker
Series History: Old Dominion leads 3-2. Last Meeting: Nov. 24, 2007 (Stanford 69, Old Dominion 61) – St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. Probable starters: Tia Lewis, Jessica Canady, Shadasia Green, Carolann Cloutier, Jasmine Parker. Head coach: Wendy Larry.
Stanford holds the No. 2 spot in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN preseason polls. Stanford’s 13 returners are highlighted by 2009 State Farm Coaches’ All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year center Jayne Appel. Head coach: Tara VanDerveer.
The top returner for the Lady Monarchs in 2009-10 is senior forward Jessica Canady. Canady was a 2nd Team All-CAA Forward last year and was tabbed to the Pre-Season First Team headed into her final campaign.

North Florida vs (15) Florida St., Donald L. Tucker Center, Tallahassee, Florida
Audio: Seminoles.com
The Ospreys opened the season with a 56-51 home exhibition win over Flagler on October. 31. Sophomore guard Brittany Kirkland led all scorers with 20 points, shooting 55.5 percent on 10-of-18 from the field. Junior guard Juliemay Syquio tallied nine points, while senior forward Arlande Cherizol led UNF on the boards with nine rebounds. Head coach: Mary Tappmeyer.
The Seminoles are ranked No. 12 in preseason ESPN/USA Today preseason poll and No. 15 in the Associated Press preseason poll. FSU went 26-8 last season and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach: Sue Semrau.

7:30 PM ET
Winthrop vs (19) Georgia Tech (Preseason WNIT game), Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia
Audio: www.WREK.org
This will mark the third meeting between Tech and Winthrop. The Jackets lead the all-time series 3-0. Winthrop lost four of its five starters from a team that went 16-16 and made its first ever postseason WNIT appearance. Head coach: Bud Childers.
T he Yellow Jackets are participating in their second Preseason WNIT. Georgia Tech, ranked 19th in the preseason Associated Press preseason poll, is ranked for the seventh week in the last three years under head coach MaChelle Joseph.

8:00 PM ET
Mercer vs (13) Oklahoma, Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma
Audio: Sooner Radio Network Video/Stats: SoonerSports.com
Mercer’s trip to Oklahoma will mark a homecoming for senior LaToya Jackson and sophomores Lorin Hammer and Lacy Ramon. Probable starters: Courtney Ford, LaToya Jackson, Lindsey Lowrie,  Lacy Ramon, Kourtney Carter. Head coach: Janell Jones.
Oklahoma returns eight letterwinners and three starters from last year’s team that went 32-5 (15-1 Big 12) and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. This year’s Sooner squad features a preseason All-American in Danielle Robinson and last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Whitney Hand. Probable starters: Danielle Robinson, Nyeshia Stevenson, Whitney Hand, Amanda Thompson,  Abi Olajuwon. Head coach: Sherri Coale.

Texas-San Antonio vs (12) Texas, Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas Audio: KVET (1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) and goUTSA.com Video: www.TexasSports.tv.
In 2008-09 UTSA posted its second straight 20-win season (24), shared the Southland Regular Season Title, repeated as Southland Confernece Tournament Champions and a return trip to
the NCAA Tournament. Probable starters: Judy Jones, Amber Gregg, Whitney York, Valencia Cottom, Ashleigh Franklin. Head coach: Rae Rippetoe-Blair.
The Longhorns return three starters (Brittainey Raven, Earnesia Williams, Ashleigh Fontenette) from last year’s squad that earned their second-consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament. Texas was picked to finish tied for second in the Big 12 Conference in a preseason vote of the league head coaches.  The Longhorns have been picked to finish second or higher in the Big 12 five times since 1997. UT was ranked No. 12 in The Associated Press preseason poll and No. 14 ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. Probable starters: Earnesia Williams, Kathleen Nash, Brittainey Raven, Ashley Gayle, Ashleigh Fontenette. Head coach: Gail Goestenkors.

8:35 PM ET
(6) Duke vs Houston Baptist, Sharp Gym, Houston, Texas Audio: Texas Sports Radio Network and Radio:  620 The Buzz with Steve Barnes
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Houston Baptist Huskies (8-21 in 2008-09) return two starters and five letterwinners. Leading the returners is sophomore guard Raquel Jones, who led all freshmen last season with 8.0 points per game. Head coach: Todd Buchanan.
Duke returns two starters off a squad which posted a 27-6 overall record and received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Karima Christmas will be making her way home this weekend as she is from Houston, Texas and attended J. Frank Dobie High School.  Her home is approximately 20 minutes away from Houston Baptist University.  Duke is preseason ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today preseason polls. Probable starters: Bridgette Mitchell, Joy Cheek, Krystal Thomas, Karima Christmas, Jasmine Thomas. Head coach: Joanne P. McCallie.

9:00 PM ET
Central Michigan vs (17) Depaul, McGrath Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Live Audio, Streaming Video, Live Stats
CMU orchestrated the third-best turnaround in Mid-American Conference history in 2008-09. The Chippewas went 18-14, a season after fi nishing 6-23. They return all of their key contributors from a season ago and add Laura Baker, a transfer from Lansing Community College and older sister of Brandie Baker. Probable starters: Jalisa Olive, Shonda Long, Skylar Miller, Britni Houghton, Kaihla Szunko. Head Coach: Sue Guevara.
It is the first time since the 2005-06 season that DePaul has opened in Lincoln Park and not on the road. DePaul women’s basketball team was ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press preseason poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. Senior Deirdre Naughton is 20 points away from the century mark at DePaul. Probable starters: Sam Quigley, Keisha Hampton, Jennifer Juergens, Felicia Chester, Deirdre Naughton. Head coach: Doug Bruno.

Full Schedule of all Division I teams