The UCSB women’s basketball team will usher in the Bonnie Henrickson era with a competitive 2015-16 schedule that features three games against Power Five schools, it was announced Wednesday.
The team will host seven nonconference home games, as they will make their season debut in their home exhibition against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 8 in the Thunderdome.
The Gauchos will follow that game with their first road trip of the season that includes stops at Washington State (Nov. 13) and Idaho (Nov. 15). Their game with the Cougars will be the official season opener and looks to be a competitive matchup, as WSU is coming off back-to-back seasons with WNIT appearances.
On Nov. 19, UCSB will be back in the Thunderdome to host another 2015 WNIT qualifier in Cal State Bakersfield before flying up to Oregon on Nov. 22 to face the Ducks.
Before going on a road swing that will bring UCSB to Wyoming (Nov. 27) and Pepperdine (Nov. 29), the Gauchos will host University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (previously named UT-Pan American) on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
The Gauchos will play four home games in December, as they will open the month by hosting Santa Clara on Dec. 1 and Loyola Marymount on Dec. 4. UCSB’s game with the Broncos will be the first of a two-game series, as they will travel to Santa Clara just 17 days later in the final stop of a three-game road trip, which features a stops in the Pelican State at LSU (Dec. 13) and at Louisiana-Lafayette (Dec. 15).
After logging in eight road games through the first five weeks of the season, the Gauchos will enjoy their longest home stand of the year with four consecutive games. They will open the stint with a Dec. 20 matchup with La Verne and will then close out their nonconference slate against Morehead State on Dec. 28.
UCSB will open its Big West schedule in the Thunderdome with rival Cal Poly on Jan. 7. Some of the top league matchups will come during the team’s three-game home stand starting on Thursday Feb. 18 when it takes on reigning conference champion Cal State Northridge followed by a bout with Long Beach State (Feb. 20). The Gauchos will then close out their home schedule with UC Irvine on Feb. 25.
Click here to view the full 2015-16 schedule.
This will be coach Bonnie Henrickson’s first season at the helm for the Gauchos, as she and her coaching staff will have 10 returners from last season along with seven newcomers. Onome Jemerigbe and Jasmine Ware – the two leading scorers from a year ago – are among the returnees. Coming off a season when she was named Honorable All-Big West, Jemerigbe will look to reprise her role at point guard where averaged 4.4 assists and 1.6 steal during conference play, which ranked fourth and sixth among in the league, respectively.
Season tickets will be available starting Monday. You will be able to order them by visiting the Ticketing Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building, calling 805.893.UCSB (8272), or visiting us online at UCSBgauchos.com.
