Southeast Missouri State women's basketball releases non-conference schedule

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball released on Thursday its non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

Highlights include the Preseason NIT — opening the campaign at Louisville — a home game against regional rival Southern Illinois, a trip to Kansas and the program's very own Thanksgiving event, the SEMO Thanksgiving Classic.

The Classic will be played at the Show Me Center, with the Redhawks scheduled to take on Evangel on Nov. 24 and Bradley on Nov. 25.

This is only the third time in the Division 1 era that Southeast has hosted its own Thanksgiving event, the last being the Southeast Hospital Classic in 2005, with Milwaukee and Henderson State participating.

The Redhawks also played host to the Otahkian Shootout in 1994 to begin the season. That featured Southwest Louisiana and Chattanooga.

Four non-conference foes from last season again appear on the schedule, with SEMO traveling to Cincinnati (Nov. 30) and Western Illinois (Dec. 5) while SIU (Nov. 22) and Evansville (Dec. 19) both come to Cape Girardeau.

The home opener will be vs. Missouri Valley on Nov. 14 with a mid-day game for Classroom at the Court.

The full non-conference schedule is below.

Southeast went 13-17 in 2016-17, the second season under coach Rekha Patterson.

The men's out-of-conference slate will be released Friday.

WOMEN'S 2017-18 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Nov. 10 — at Louisville (Preseason NIT)

Nov. 14 — vs. Missouri Valley

Nov. 17 — vs. TBA (Preseason NIT)

Nov. 18 — vs. TBA (Preseason NIT)

Nov. 22 — vs. Southern Illinois

Nov. 24 — vs. Evangel (SEMO Thanksgiving Classic)

Nov. 25 — vs. Bradley (SEMO Thanksgiving Classic)

Nov. 30 — at Cincinnati

Dec. 5 — at Western Illinois

Dec. 7 — at Ball State

Dec. 10 — at Kansas

Dec. 19 — vs. Evansville