20-Game Big South Slate, Trips To Kentucky/ODU Highlight 2019-20 Women's Basketball Schedule

2019-20 Schedule | Schedule (.pdf) | Get Tickets | Big South Schedule

ROCK HILL, SC – Winthrop women's basketball head coach Lynette Woodard announced her team's 2019-20 schedule, complete with a 10-game non-conference schedule prior to the start of Big South Conference play.

The Eagles open the regular season with two home games, hosting North Greenville on Tuesday, Nov. 5, followed by Iona on Saturday, Nov. 9. Winthrop's first road game will be in Durham, NC to take on North Carolina Central Nov. 12, followed by an away game at Old Dominion on Nov. 20.

Prior to returning home to Rock Hill, Winthrop will play a neutral site contest against Wofford College on the campus of Converse College in Spartanburg on Saturday, Nov. 23.  The Eagles return to the Winthrop Coliseum to host Georgia Southern on Nov. 26 and the College of Charleston on Dec. 1. 

The remainder of the non-conference slate will be played on the road, beginning with SEC-power Kentucky on Dec. 11. The garnet and gold then return to the Carolinas to close out the calendar year, traveling to UNC Wilmington on Dec. 17 and then Western Carolina on Dec. 21. 

Woodard's squad will open up Big South play with back-to-back home contests as they'll host Hampton on Dec. 28 and High Point on New Year's Eve. The conference schedule is set up for all the team's to play 20 league games, as each member will play 10 home games and 10 road games. The league last played a 20-game conference schedule in 2015-16.
 
Last season, the Eagles finished 10-20 overall and 6-12 in Big South Conference games. It was an improvement and positive step forward over the previous three years, and Woodard is enthusiastic about her team taking another positive step this year.
 
"We have a very competitive schedule, and are very excited," said Woodard. "We are looking forward to strong competition. Our team is young, eager, and ready to go. Go Eagles!"
 
Woodard has plenty to be excited about, as her team returns a number of contributors from last season, including their three leading scorers in sophomore's Kem Nwabudu (9.8 ppg), Jah'Che Whitfield (8.5 ppg), and junior Anika Riley (7.9 ppg). 
 
Nwabudu, a forward from Elmont, NY, was voted to the Big South All-Freshman Team last year.  In addition to leading the team in scoring, she also averaged 5.8 rebounds per game, recording four double-doubles.  She tallied 11 games in double-figure scoring, including a career-high 25 points in the season finale at Hampton.
 
The Eagles will also return senior point guard Miquela Santoro, named to the All-Big South Academic Team last season, who led the team in minutes (31.2 mpg) and assists (2.7 apg), in addition to being the team's primary ball handler.
 
Winthrop returns three other experienced seniors in forward Angela Coello Perez, center Uchechi Ufochukwu, and guard Marissa Cantrell.  Additionally, sophomore's Maleeah Langstaff, who started 21 games in 2018-19, Destinee Jamison, and Sydney Buckley, all return to the squad after logging quality minutes a year ago.
 
In addition to the 10 returners, Woodard and her staff have brought in six newcomers in Myra Strickland, Sydney Hunter, Sierra Hunter, Tori Hall, Imani Elliott, and Linden Beasley.
 
Times for all home contests will be announced in the coming weeks. Season tickets for Winthrop women's basketball can be purchased at WinthropEagles.com, by calling the Winthrop Ticket Office at 803-323-2345, or by emailing tickets@winthrop.edu.