Sept. 18, 2012

A-10 WBB CONFERENCE SCHEDULE | A-10 WBB SEASON PREVIEW

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Twenty-six national television appearances showcasing all 16 member institutions highlight the 2013 Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Basketball schedule, the league office announced on Tuesday. Conference teams will once again play a 14 game A-10 schedule, consisting of seven home games and seven away games.

ESPN Networks will feature three women's games; two regular season contests and the 2013 A-10 Championship game live from the new state-of-the-art Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on March 16. ESPN will air the league's championship finale for the 16th-straight year. CBS Sports Network will televise an additional 10 games; eight during the regular season and the two semifinal outings at the A-10 Championship, March 10 on the campus of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pa.

"This year's women's basketball schedule gives us the opportunity to display our high-level basketball programs with traditional rivalries and new matchups with our two new members - VCU and Butler," stated Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "In addition, the television package through our partners at ESPN and CBS Sports Network will showcase our teams, which have made at least seven postseason appearances in each of the last four years."

The 2013 conference schedule begins on Saturday, Jan. 12, as A-10 newcomer Butler hosts reigning league Champion Dayton at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. George Washington, under the direction of rookie head coach Jonathan Tsipis, will play at Massachusetts, while Saint Joseph's hosts Richmond, and Saint Louis behind new head coach Lisa Stone welcomes first-year member VCU with head coach Marlene Stollings to Chaifetz Arena. Rhode Island and La Salle will round out opening day action at Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, Pa.

At the conclusion of the regular season on March 3, the top 12 league teams will advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship in Philadelphia. First round action of the event begins on Friday, March 8 at Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena, with the top four teams earning a bye. Quarterfinal play continues on Saturday, March 9 in Philadelphia, while the semifinals will air live on CBS Sports Network at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. The championship game, which will be held six days later on Saturday, March 16, will be played at 7:00 p.m. at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The A-10's championship finale will mark the first women's collegiate game at the new-state-of-the art arena.

Last year, A-10 Champion Dayton and nationally-ranked St. Bonaventure were among the 64 teams selected to the 2012 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, while Charlotte, Duquesne, Richmond, Saint Joseph's and Temple received invites to the 64-team Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). Additionally, the A-10 closed out the 2011-12 campaign ranked ninth among the 31 Division I Conferences in the final RPI Report, while six league teams finished among the top 100 RPI teams in the country, including St. Bonaventure (14), Dayton (37), Richmond (46), Temple (52), Saint Joseph's (66) and Duquesne (91).

For complete coverage of the 2012-13 Atlantic 10 women's basketball season, please visit the A-10 official website - www.atlantic10.com.

About the A-10
The Atlantic 10 Conference was formed in 1976, is currently comprised of 16 member institutions and sponsors 21 championship sports. The mission and goal of the Atlantic 10 is to preserve, protect, and enhance the academic and athletic pursuits of the membership.  The conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for more than 6,000 student-athletes, coaches, and support staff.  The member institutions of the Atlantic 10 are Butler University, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University, Temple University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Xavier University.