NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State University head women's basketball coach Tara A. Owens announced her team's 2008-09 schedule on Thursday. The schedule is highlighted by in-state matchups with William & Mary and Old Dominion, trips to the University of Miami, Stetson, Seton Hall, and the University of Utah and a December tournament at Fordham.

“We are excited about another season of Spartan Women's Basketball,” Owens said. “We have put together a very challenging nonconference schedule that will allow us to play quality competition and prepare for our tough MEAC slate.”

The Spartans open the season at Miami on Nov. 14 and then head four hours north to Deland, Fla. to take on Stetson on Nov. 16. It will be NSU's first meeting with both teams.

NSU returns to the commonwealth for a Nov. 20 contest at W&M. The Tribe leads the Spartans 8-7 all-time and won the last meeting 73-53 on Dec. 21, 2006 at Echols Hall. On Nov. 23, the Spartans will take the short trip to the Ted Constant Center for their first meeting with the ODU Lady Monarchs since the 1982-83 season. The teams have met 15 times before, with ODU holding a 12-3 advantage.

NSU starts December with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game at North Carolina A&T (Dec. 6) and then hits the road after the Christmas break to play in a four-team tournament (Dec. 28-29) that includes host Fordham, Colgate and Bryant University. The Spartans play at Seton Hall on New Year's Eve and then head west to play Utah on Jan. 2.

The Spartans resume MEAC play in early January and take a break from conference action when they make their Echols Hall debut against North Carolina Central on Jan. 15. NSU will then play eight of its 13 remaining MEAC games at home. The two games against Winston-Salem State will not count in the MEAC standings as the Lady Rams are not eligible to participate in the conference tournament.

NSU ends the regular season with a five-game homestand before taking part in the 2009 MEAC tournament, which will be held at the Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. The tournament, which runs from March 9-14, moves to the LJVM Coliseum after being played at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. for the last three years.

For the complete schedule, click here.