Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Edward Fieder
Rigby Announces First Women’s Basketball Schedule
9/12/2012 8:55:00 AM | Basketball (W)
2012-13 Schedule | 2012-13 Schedule (.pdf)
TROY, Ala. – The Troy women's basketball program and first-year head coach Chanda Rigby announced a challenging 2012-13 schedule on Tuesday as the Trojans prepare for a new era in the history of Troy women's basketball.
The Trojans, under an entirely new coaching staff and playing in the newly constructed Trojan Arena, will entertain a 29-game schedule that includes 14 home games, highlighted by a visit from Alabama on Saturday, December 15.
Troy will play nine games against teams that qualified for the postseason in 2011-12, including five against NCAA Tournament teams. The Trojans will travel to Florida, who fell in the second round to eventual national champion Baylor, on December 4. They will also play two games each against Sun Belt NCAA Tournament participants Middle Tennessee and UALR.
“The type of basketball we're trying to teach our players is a fast-paced, physical game,” Rigby said. “We're not going to get the concepts over night, and the best way to learn is to be forced to play that way. Some of the teams we've scheduled will force us to play that style.”
The Rigby era of Troy women's basketball will begin on the road at Winthrop on Sunday, November 11 as the Trojans return a home game after the Eagles played in Sartain Hall a year ago.
Troy will play its first game inside the 5,200-seat Trojan Arena on Wednesday, November 14 as Mercer visits for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
“We're very excited about that first game in Trojan Arena,” Rigby said. “We're going to be a bundle of energy and a bundle of nerves all in one going into that game, but we're just ready to get out there and do it.”
Troy will also host non-conference home games against Furman (Nov. 18) and Alabama State (Dec. 9) before hosting their first SEC opponent since 1997 when Alabama visits Trojan Arena on Saturday, December 15 at 2 p.m.
“We want to get quality games in Trojan Arena for our fans,” Rigby said. “There is no better way to get fans in the gym than to play in-state games like that (Alabama).”
In addition to the home game against Alabama, the Trojans will visit Florida and Mississippi State, making one-third of their non-conference schedule against the SEC.
With the Sun Belt sitting at 11 teams after Denver's departure, the conference has now instituted a 20-game league schedule that will allow fans to see every conference team visit Trojan Arena. However Rigby's first Sun Belt game will be a tough road test at UALR on November 29.
The Trojans will host their first Sun Belt game on Saturday, December 1 as WKU, one of four other schools in the league with a first-year head coach, visits for a 5:15 p.m. tipoff that will be part of a doubleheader.
The remainder of the Trojans' Sun Belt schedule will begin in earnest as 2013 rolls around and the Trojans travel to North Texas on January 2. Nine of Troy's 10 Sun Belt games will be played as parts of doubleheaders with the women's game tipping at 5:15 p.m. and the men's at 7:30 p.m.
The lone exception is a Friday, December 21 contest against 2012 WNIT participant Florida Atlantic that will tip at 12 p.m.
For more information on Troy Athletics, and to see the complete schedule, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter at @TroyAthletics or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TroyAthletics.
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