High Point University women's basketball head coach Tooey Loy announced the 2010-11 schedule on Wednesday. The Panthers non-conference slate will include games against West Virginia out of the Big East and Georgia out of the SEC.

“This is by far the most challenging schedule we have played,” Loy said. “WVU and Georgia could be top 10 in the country when we play them and VCU won 22 games including a couple in the WNIT last season. We feel like we have a team ready to compete every night and one that is prepared for such a demanding schedule. We are returning many of the in-state rivalries at their place this year which should help prepare us for the Big South challenges on the road. We did some great things last year but want to be better and win championships this season!”

High Point opens the season with three-straight home games, starting with a matchup against VCU on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. The Panthers then host American University on Sunday, Nov. 14, and Southern Virginia on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Following the three-game home stand, HPU hits the road for games against Longwood on Nov. 19 and UNC Wilmington on Nov. 22.

The Panthers will travel to El Paso, Texas over Thanksgiving to play in the University of Texas-El Paso Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 26-27. UTEP, Arkansas and Idaho State will join High Point in the two-day event.

High Point will play three road games in the first week of December, traveling to Buies Creek, N.C., to play Campbell on Dec. 1 before heading to Morgantown, W.Va., to play West Virginia on Dec. 4 and Greensboro, N.C., to face off against UNC Greensboro on Dec. 7.

After a home game against Bluefield College on Dec. 11, the Panthers will round out their non-conference slate with two trips into the peach state. HPU will play at Georgia on Dec. 19 and at Georgia Southern on Dec. 29.

High Point opens the conference season on Jan. 3 when the team welcomes defending Big South Tournament Champion Liberty to Millis. HPU then hits the road for conference matchups against UNC Asheville on Jan. 8 and Radford on Jan. 10.

The Panthers return to the Millis Center for three-straight home games on Jan. 15 when they host defending Big South Regular Season Champion Gardner-Webb. High Point then hosts Coastal Carolina on Jan. 22 before closing out the stretch against Winthrop on Jan. 24.

A road game at Presbyterian on Jan. 29 kicks-off a stretch of the season that will see High Point play six of eight games on the road. Following the game against the Blue Hose, The Panthers will play at Charleston Southern on Jan. 31 and Liberty on Feb. 5. After games against Charleston Southern and Presbyterian at home on Feb. 12 and 14, HPU will play at Gardner-Webb on Feb. 21, Winthrop on Feb. 26 and Coastal Carolina on Feb. 28.

High Point will finish the regular season with two games at home against Radford on March 4 and UNC Asheville on March 7.

The Panthers will host the Big South Conference Tournament for the third-straight year on March 11-13. The top eight teams in the conference will qualify for the tournament.

Loy returns four starters from a team which went 17-14 overall and 9-7 in the Big South during the 2009-10 season. It was the most wins that the Panthers have had in a season since 2007. In December, HPU beat Florida in the final of the Gator Holiday Classic, 75-68. The Panthers made 11 three-pointers in the game to pick up their first win over an SEC team since joining Division I in 1999. The Panthers were led in scoring by Shamia Brown who averaged 10.2 points per game. Mackenzie Maier set a new High Point single-season record with 91 blocks, the second-highest single-season total in the history of the Big South.

Season tickets for the 2010-11 season are available to Panther Club members in conjunction with men's season tickets for $155. Individual game tickets can be purchased for $6 for the lower level and $4 for the upper level.

2010-11 HPU Women's Basketball Schedule