MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (October 25, 2023) - Tomorrow, the St. Thomas University (STU) Women's Basketball team will kick off the 2023-24 season in the Fernandez Family Center. The Bobcats will face the New College of Florida for their home opener, on Thursday, October 26th, at 7 p.m.
Head Coach Candace Walker will lead the team for her seventh season as the Bobcats head coach after a historic 2022-23 season. Walker notched her 100th career win last season, a 14-0 start, and a second-place finish for the Bobcats, landing them at number two in the 2023-24 Sun Conference Preseason Poll. The Bobcats will be also joined by some newcomers this season, including Sophie Vandyke who comes from NCAA Division II Flagler University and Ra'Nae Tumblin who joins the Bobcats after a two-year stint at Paris Junior College.
A notable match up for the Bobcats will be their exhibition face off against NCAA Division I Florida Atlantic University. The Bobcats took on the Owls last season in an exhibition match, ultimately falling after a hard fought match up. The Owls were 12-18 last season. This season, they will face off on ESPN+ on Tuesday, December 5th at 7 p.m.
The Bobcats will also participate in a few tournaments during non-conference play. In the Crossover Challenge, the Bobcats will face Brewton Parker University for the second year in a row after defeating them last season during the same tournament in a close match, 75-73. The Bobcats will also face William Carey (Miss.) during the Crossover Challenge, WVU Tech and Cumberlands (Ky.) during the West Palm Invitational and Midland University and Dakota Wesleyan University during the Cruzin' Classic.
The Bobcats are predicted to finish behind Southeastern University after they went 1-1 against the Fire in the 2022-23 season. The Bobcats defeated the Fire for the first time since 2015 with a score of 92-84, Brooke Bogatz scoring 33 points during the game. They faced the Fire again in the first round of the Sun Conference Tournament, losing in overtime 96-101. Their first meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 17th at 5:30 p.m. in the Fernandez Family Center.
Florida Memorial University has also been a notable opponent for the Bobcats in years past. The Lions were 24-6 last season overall and 15-1 in conference, earning them a first-place finish for the 2022-23 season in Sun Conference play. The Bobcats were 1-1 against the crosstown rivals, defeating the Lions on the road 78-61, before falling to them at home 74-92. Their first face-off will take place on Wednesday, January 10th at 5:30 p.m. in the Fernandez Family Center.
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