• 2009 Women’s Basketball Schedule Link
• 2009 Printable Schedule (PDF)

Oasha White will return for the Pirates in 2009-10 for her sophomore season.

PARKVILLE, Mo. – Entering his 13th year at Park University, women’s basketball head coach Joe C. Meriweather announced his 2009-10 schedule this week which includes 14 home games and numerous contests with Kansas City metro area schools.

Park has a solid core of returners coming back in 2009-10 but this year’s squad will also feature many new players and Meriweather is looking forward to seeing the veterans and youngsters come together.

“I am really looking forward to this year especially with a few new faces being added to the mix,” Meriweather said. “We have some solid leadership returning as well, so it will be a nice blend of fresh new talent and returners and with the schedule we have it should be a very exciting year.”

The Pirates will face three teams that qualified for the 2009 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Tournament in Jackson, Tenn., along with two squads that competed in the 2009 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. 

For the second straight year, Park will begin the 2009-10 season in an exhibition game against Livin’ The Dream on October 17 at 1:00 p.m. inside the Breckon Sports Center.

Livin' The Dream consists of one men’s and one women’s traveling exhibition team comprised of former college and professional athletes that compete against top NCAA, NAIA, Junior College and International competition.

The primary purpose of the LTD Exhibition teams are to develop positive relationships with academic and professional basketball institutions worldwide in the hopes of helping them better their programs through competition while maintaining its overall mission as a ministry for Christ.

Park will compete in the MNU Classic to open up the regular season as they take on Avila University on Friday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m. in Olathe, Kan. on the campus of MidAmerica Nazarene University. One day later on Saturday, November 7, the Pirates will take on host school MidAmerica at 6:00 p.m. inside MNU’s Cook Center.

The Pirates will open up their home slate on Tuesday, November 10 against Missouri Valley at 5:30 p.m. inside the Breckon Sports Center. Park swept the Vikings last season, winning on the road, 64-56, back on December 13, 2008 and winning at home in overtime, 64-59, on January 19, 2009.

Park will take part in another early season tournament on Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, as they travel to Baldwin City, Kan. for the Baker Classic. The Pirates will clash with Baker University on Friday and Benedictine College on Saturday with game times to be announced closer to the tournament.

Kansas Wesleyan University comes to Parkville on Saturday, November 21 for a matinee affair beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Breckon Sports Center. The Coyotes are the defending Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champions and qualified for the NAIA Division II National Tournament last season.

Park will return the favor and play Missouri Valley in Marshall, Mo. on November 24 before starting a big five game home stand.

Park will start the home stand on November 28 at 1:00 p.m. with a contest against Friends University, then three days later will take on MidAmerica Nazarene on December 1 at the Breckon Sports Center.

Defending Red River Athletic Conference Champion Langston University will come to town on December 5 to take on the Pirates at 2:00 p.m. Langston qualified for the NAIA National Tournament last season and took down the Pirates, 83-58, last November 6.

The Ravens of Benedictine will take on the Pirates on January 2 at the Breckon Sports Center and American Midwest Conference play will begin on January 7, as Park faces Missouri Baptist in its first AMC game since 2000.

Park will begin its first season back in the American Midwest Conference in 2009 and had previously held membership in the AMC from 1993 to 2000, exiting the league following the spring semester in 2000.

“Returning to the AMC is going to be a great opportunity for Park University,” Meriweather said. “It is going to be a very tough conference, because every team will be very competitive. Another positive in joining the AMC is the chance to start new rivalries, which will be good for all of our teams.”

Starting January 9 against Columbia College, Park will hit the road for four straight AMC games and will return home on January 21 to face William Woods.

After two more AMC road games against Hannibal-LaGrange on January 23 and Stephens College on January 28, Park will face McKendree University for the first time in ’09 on January 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Breckon Sports Center.

Park and Mckendree split the two game series last season, with Park winning, 67-53, on November 1 and McKendree coming out victorious on December 5, 62-45.

The Pirates have a three-game home stand beginning with Columbia on February 6 and hit the road again with a contest against William Woods on February 18. The Owls are the defending AMC Tournament Champions and qualified for last year’s NAIA Division I National Tournament.

Park’s senior day celebration will take place before the tip of the Stephens College game on February 25, which will also mark the final regular season game played inside the Breckon Sports Center.

The AMC Tournament will get started on March 3 with the Quarterfinal round and will take place at Campus Sites throughout the AMC.

The AMC Semifinals will be played on Friday, March 5, while the AMC Championship game is set for Monday, March 8 and will also take place at a Campus Site.

The winner of the AMC Tournament Championship will go on to play in the NAIA National Tournament in Jackson, Tenn. at the Oman Arena from March 17-23.

Park University has qualified for one NAIA National Tournament, which came back in 2006.

For all information regarding Park University women’s basketball in 2009 please visit www.parkathletics.com.

-PARK-