Academy releases 2004-05 women’s basketball schedule

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Back-to-back tournaments to open the season and five additional nonconference home contests amid an always challenging conference slate highlight the 2004-05 Air Force Academy women’s basketball schedule.

The Falcons get the season off to a start with the Air Force Classic here Nov. 19 and 20. Coach Ardie McInelly and her team will face Montana State University to open the tournament, followed by a meeting with either University of California Davis or University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Falcons spend Nov. 26 and 27 in a Thanksgiving tournament at Northern Arizona University, which includes the Lumberjacks along with New Mexico State University and University at Albany.

“We’re very excited to be (holding) our own tournament this year,” the coach said. “It’ll also be nice for us to go to the Northern Arizona tournament, since it will give Jennifer Roesch the chance to showcase her talents in front of her friends and family. These two early season tournaments will give us some good experience.”

After traveling to Portland, Ore., on Dec. 2, the Falcons return to Clune Arena here for a pair of home games against Utah State University (Dec. 4) and Illinois State University (Dec. 7). Then, Air Force heads to Boise State University on Dec. 10 as McInelly faces her alma mater before a contest at University of Northern Colorado on Dec. 13.

Following a break for exams, the Falcons play at home again Dec. 22 against the University of San Diego. After a short Christmas break, Air Force faces service academy rivals Navy and Army, as the Midshipmen visit Clune Arena on Dec. 30, before the Falcons fly to West Point to take on the Black Knights on Jan. 3. The nonconference schedule wraps up for the Falcons with a Jan. 8 contest against cross-town opponent Regis University.

“We have a very balanced nonconference schedule to start out the season, in terms of home and away games,” McInelly said. “Our earlier games should give us the chance to prepare for our tough conference schedule.”

Air Force begins the 2005 conference slate on the road, traveling to 2004 Mountain West champ New Mexico for a Jan. 15 game. The Falcons then play host to Utah (Jan. 20) and Brigham Young University (Jan. 22) before heading to the West Coast to face San Diego State on Jan. 27 and University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Jan. 29.

Feb. 3 marks the beginning of a three-game homestand, the longest of the season for the Falcons, as they take on Colorado State. University of Wyoming comes to town Feb. 5, while New Mexico visits Feb. 10. Air Force then heads to Utah to face BYU (Feb. 17) and Utah (Feb. 19).

Contests against San Diego State (Feb. 24) and UNLV (Feb. 26) mark the final home games of the season for the Falcons, as they wrap up the regular season on the road at Wyoming (March 3) and Colorado State (March 5). Air Force will conclude its season March 9 to 12 at the Mountain West Conference Championships in Denver.