April 17, 2007

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The BIG EAST Conference has determined the home and away league schedule of opponents for the 2007-08 women's basketball season. The league office released the pairings on Tuesday, April 17. Providence College will face Villanova twice during the season, while playing each of the remaining 14 teams once.

The format for league play is a 16-game schedule. Each team will play 16 conference games - seven opponents home only, seven opponents away only and one opponent both home and away (a repeat opponent). Each member will have a total of eight home and eight away games.

The conference has opted to maintain the same repeat opponents for the Connecticut/Rutgers series and the Notre Dame/DePaul matchup, while the repeat opponents for the other 12 teams have changed from the format of the previous two years. During each of the last two season, the Friars' repeat opponent was Seton Hall. In 2007-08, PC will face Villanova at home and on the road.

Providence's BIG EAST Conference home schedule will consist of Villanova, Cincinnati, DePaul, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall, Syracuse and West Virginia. The Friars road match-ups will include games against Villanova, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and USF.

Last season, Providence finished the year with a 13-16 overall record and a 3-13 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. PC's 13 wins are the most for the team in a single season since the 2001-02 campaign when the Friars finished the year 13-15. Twelve players will return to the team in 2007-08, including Second-Team All-BIG EAST Selection Chelsea Marandola (Johnston, R.I.).