2015-16 Schedule | 2015 Preseason WNIT | Sun Belt Release

UT Arlington women's basketball coach Krista Gerlich announced the 2015-16 nonconference schedule on Monday. The slate includes four opponents that reached the 2015 NCAA Tournament as well as two conference champions.

"We have put together a nice schedule," UT Arlington coach Krista Gerlich said. "It's tough competition wise and we have some good road environments to play in and get our kids some experiences in tough situations.

The purpose of nonconference games is to prepare you for conference and there's no doubt that we will be tested. We had no idea who we would draw in the Preseason WNIT and Baylor is quite the draw, but that is a great opportunity for our team and our program."

The Lady Mavericks tip off with Baylor in the Women's National Invitation Tournament on Nov. 13. Baylor enters the season as the defending Big 12 champs and reached the Elite Eight in 2015. UTA has two additional guaranteed games in the Preseason WNIT with opponents to be decided after the first round.

UTA's nonconference schedule continues with the scheduled home opener against Big East opponent Seton Hall at College Park Center on Nov. 24. The Pirates were 28-6 last season with their season ending in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Missouri Valley College comes to CPC on Nov. 28 before UTA hits the road for four of its next five games. The Lady Mavs travel to face former Southland Conference foe Stephen F. Austin and make a return trip to Kansas State for the second consecutive season.

Sandwiched between the road games is a home meeting with Western Kentucky on Dec. 13. The Lady Mavs last faced Western Kentucky in 2014 prior to WKU leaving the Sun Belt for Conference USA.

"We are excited to strengthen our schedule this season and continue to strive to place ourselves in the mix amongst some of the top teams in the country," Gerlich said. "We have a variety of styles that we will play against and hopefully be successful against as well as to build confidence for a run at the Sun Belt Conference title."

UTA will face Houston Baptist (Dec. 19) and in-state rival UTSA (Dec. 21) on the road to close out nonconference play.

Sun Belt play begins for the Lady Mavs on Dec. 30 against Georgia State. The team has 20 conference games, 10 at home, to build up to the Sun Belt Championship in New Orleans in March.

The Lady Mavs finished last season 17-13 overall and held the largest turnaround in NCAA Division I, as well as program history, after winning just four games the previous campaign.