Blue Hen basketball schedules announced
Herb Courtney and the Hens will face the University of Maryland on Dec. 28 in College Park.
9:52 a.m., Sept. 5, 2007--The University of Delaware has announced the 2007-08 basketball schedules, with the women's team opening at home against Delaware State University in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament and the men's team facing six NCAA tournament teams. Among those, the men's team will travel to play the University of Maryland at College Park in late December.

The UD women's team, led by Head Coach Tina Martin, went 26-6 and earned a bid to the NCAA Division I championship tournament last year. The Fightin' Blue Hens will open against Delaware State, also an NCAA tournament participant, on Nov. 9 in the preseason WNIT. The Hens are guaranteed three games in the WNIT but could play four if they win the first three.

Following the WNIT, UD will host Boston College of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Nov. 20. The Hens will then compete in the Panera Bread Challenge, hosted by the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, on Nov. 23-24. UD will face the University of Louisville, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, in the first game, and will take on either the host team or Murray State University in the second game.

UD will return home to host La Salle University on Nov. 28, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Dec. 6 and Quinnipiac University on Dec. 18 before welcoming Bowling Green to the Bob Carpenter Center on Dec. 21. The Hens will conclude the non-conference slate at the Blue Sky Classic on Dec. 29-30 hosted by Dartmouth College. The Hens will face Southeastern Conference opponent the University of Alabama in the first round, and in the second will either face the host team or Marquette University.

Delaware opens Colonial Athletic Association action at George Mason University on Jan. 6 before hosting Drexel University on Jan. 10 in its conference home opener. The Hens will host CAA defending champion Old Dominion University on Jan. 27 and WNIT quarterfinalist Hofstra University on Feb. 17. They will travel to Hofstra on Jan. 31 and to James Madison University on Feb. 24. The Hens face league powers Old Dominion and James Madison only once each this season.

UD once again will host the CAA women's basketball championship tournament this season. Games will be played March 13-16 at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The UD men's basketball team, led by second year Head Coach Monté Ross, will open the season on Nov. 11 at Marist College, which advanced to the second round of the NIT last year. After traveling to Rider University on Nov. 17, Delaware will host Hampton University in its home opener on Nov. 27.

After a visit to Iona College on Nov. 30, the Hens will return home to host Towson University in their CAA opener on Dec. 3. They will remain at home to face NCAA tournament participant the University at Albany on Dec. 5. UD then will play three straight road games, taking on Ohio University on Dec. 8, NCAA tournament participant Central Connecticut State University on Dec. 16 and NIT participant the University of Vermont on Dec. 19.

The Hens will host Boston University on Dec. 22 before traveling to the University of Maryland to face the Atlantic Coast Conference power on Dec. 28. UD again will participate in the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters, with a road game on Feb. 23 against an opponent to be determined.

Following its first CAA road game at the College of William and Mary on Jan. 2, UD will travel to Drexel on Jan. 5. The Hens then return home to host 2006 Final Four participant George Mason on Jan. 9 and 2007 NCAA tournament participant Old Dominion on Jan. 12. Delaware also hosts Virginia Commonwealth University, the defending conference champion, on Feb. 9, Drexel on Feb. 16 and Hofstra, which competed in the NIT, on Feb. 27. The CAA men's basketball championship tournament will be played March 7-10 at the Richmond Coliseum.

For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].