GOLDEN SUNS ANNOUNCE ITS 2008-09 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Basketball Coach Dave Wilbers announced his team’s 2008-09 schedule on Thursday.

Wilbers, who is entering his second season at the helm of the third all-time winningest NCAA Division II program with 769 victories, has Tech playing 27 games, including 14 regular season home contests at Tucker Coliseum and playing in two in-season tournaments in the state of Florida.

“We always look forward to playing a tough non-conference schedule and this season is no different,” Wilbers said. “I think our non-conference schedule will help prepare our team for the rigors of Gulf South Conference play.”

Wilbers’ second Golden Suns team returns three starters, including returning senior forward Amanda Grappe (Benton, Ark.), who was named an All-GSC selection and a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honoree last season, along with seven letterwinners from last season’s 26-6 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA South Regional in Cleveland, Miss. The 26 wins were the most since winning 29 games during the 2002-03 season.

The Golden Suns will begin its schedule by playing an exhibition contest Missouri Valley Conference foe Missouri State on Nov. 9 at 2:05 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.

“Playing an exhibition game against Missouri State will do nothing but help our basketball team get better and prepare it for the season,” the second-year Tech coach said.

Tech opens its 31st season of intercollegiate women’s basketball when they host Midwestern State at Tucker Coliseum on Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. Following the Midwestern State game, Tech will remain at home to play Ozark Christian on Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m. and then face St. Gregory’s on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. The Golden Suns will close out the month of November by traveling to Winter Park, Fla., to compete in the Rollins College Thanksgiving Classic. At the tournament, Tech will face Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras on Nov. 28 and then meet Fort Lewis College on Nov. 29. Fort Lewis is one of two teams Tech will play this season that qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Golden Suns will open the month of December with a 4:30 p.m. game at Florida Tech on Dec. 1, before returning home to begin a four game homestand at Tucker Coliseum. The homestand will begin on Dec. 4 against Mid-America Christian and will also include games against Southern Nazerene (Dec. 9), North Alabama (Dec. 17) and Incarnate Word (Dec. 21). Tech will close out the month by playing West Alabama (Dec. 29) and West Florida (Dec. 30) at the West Florida Holiday Classic in Pensacola, Fla., and will finish the three-game road trip with a game on New Year’s Day at GSC East Division rival, Montevallo.

“Our two trips to Florida will allow our team to play some games against regional competition, which will help our team in the regional rankings for postseason play,” Wilbers added. “Plus, we’ll get the chance to play some tough road games that will prepare us for GSC play.”

Tech will open its 14-game Gulf South Conference schedule by traveling to Magnolia, Ark., to face Southern Arkansas on Jan. 10. Following the SAU game, Tech will stay on the road to face Henderson State on Jan. 15 in Arkadelphia, Ark., before returning home to begin its home GSC schedule on Jan. 17 against Harding. Tech will close its two-game homestand on Jan. 22 against Ouachita Baptist, before hitting for the road for games at Delta State on Jan. 24 and Arkansas-Monticello on Jan. 29. The Golden Suns will close out the first month of 2009 by facing Christian Brothers on Jan. 31 in Tucker Coliseum. Delta State is the other team that qualified for the 2008 NCAA Division II Tournament.

          The second month opens up with Tech at home against Southern Arkansas on Feb. 5, before hosting Henderson State on Feb. 12. Following the three-game homestand, Tech travels to Searcy, Ark., to face Harding on Feb. 14 and then meets Ouachita Baptist on Feb. 19 in Arkadelphia, Ark. Tech will then return home to face Delta State in Russellville on Feb. 21 and then closing its home schedule against Arkansas-Monticello on Feb. 26. Tech will conclude the regular season on Feb. 28 at Christian Brothers.

          “The conference appears to be strong once again this season,” Wilbers said. “I like the fact that we end the season by playing five of our final eight games on our home court.”

The 2008-09 season concludes with the GSC Tournament on March 4-8 at the DeSoto County Civic Center in Southaven, Miss. It will mark the third straight year that the GSC Tournament will be held in Southaven. The top five teams from each division will advance to the tournament. Last season, Tech lost in the tournament’s championship game for the second straight year.

 Other Women’s Basketball News:

* - Wilbers has announced that he has promoted Julio Pacheco-Filho to fill the vacant assistant coaching position on his staff. Pacheco-Filho spent last season as a graduate assistant on Wilbers’ first Golden Suns coaching staff. “I’m looking forward to having Julio join our coaching staff as an assistant coach,” Wilbers said. “He is loyal and hard-working and will be a valuable asset this season.”

* - The Tech coach also announced on Thursday that his team is in the process of getting ready to clean up its one-mile section of I-40 at Exit 81 as part of the state of Arkansas “Adopt-A-Highway” program. Last season, the Golden Suns adopted a one-mile section of I-40 near exit 81 in Russellville as part of their community service involvement.  

          2008-09 Golden Suns Basketball Schedule

 -- Tech Athletics --