BEAUMONT, Texas – Fifteen home games and a season-opening trip to the West Coast to meet a pair of powerhouses highlight the 2016-17 Lamar University women's basketball schedule that was announced Wednesday.
 
The Cardinals open the season with a trip to the West Coast to face the Oregon State Beavers on Nov. 11 and the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 13. Oregon State advanced to the Final Four last season before bowing to eventual national champion UConn, while Oregon reached the semifinals of the WNIT.
 
"We know we have a tough trip to start the season, but it will be a good experience for us," LU coach Robin Harmony said of the games in Oregon. "It will give us a chance to bond and to see how we measure up."
 
LU opens its home schedule at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 when St. Thomas (Texas) comes to the Montagne Center. The Cardinals are slated to play six non-conference home games this season. In addition to the St. Thomas clash, Northern Arizona (Nov. 23), Southwestern University (Dec. 4), Loyola Chicago (Dec. 20), Louisiana College (Dec. 22) and Howard Payne (Dec. 29) will visit Beaumont. The Howard Payne contest will be the first of eight home hoops doubleheaders with the LU men's team.
 
LU has two other non-conference road matchups this season, flying to Manhattan, Kan., to meet Kansas State on Nov. 20, and to Buffalo, N.Y., for a Nov. 26 meeting with Canisius College.
 
"Our strength of schedule is strong," Harmony said. "These games will make us better by the time conference play rolls around."
 
The Cardinals open Southland Conference play at 2 p.m. Dec. 31 at Central Arkansas, the defending Southland Conference Tournament champion. The first Southland Conference home game is set for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5, as New Orleans comes to town for a doubleheader.
 
Archrival McNeese visits Lamar University at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 for the opening game of a twin bill. LU closes the regular season at McNeese on March 4. The Southland Conference Tournament is scheduled for March 9-12 in Katy, Texas.
 
The Cardinals, who advanced to the second round of the Southland Conference Tournament last season, are led by returning sophomores Chastadie Barrs, last season's Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and Kiara Desamours, last season's Southland Conference Freshman of the Year. Senior post player Kiandra Bowers, who suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the season last year, will be back in the starting lineup.
 
Newcomers include junior guard De'Angela Mathis, a junior college All-American at Florida State College at Jacksonville, and sophomore guard Moe Kinard, a transfer from the University of Houston.
 
"We're still young, but we have depth this year," Harmony said. "We're looking forward to a successful season."
 
All Lamar University home games will be shown live on ESPN3, which is available on your computer, smart phone, tablet, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Roku.