IU to play 13 nonconference games in 2012

Indiana women’s basketball fans will get a glimpse of new IU Coach Curt Miller as the team plays host to nine of its 13 nonconference games in Assembly Hall.

The Hoosiers only played five home games in their nonconference schedule last season.

“I am excited for the upcoming 2012-13 season and the schedule that we inherited,” Miller said in a press release.

The team will seek to improve last season’s 5-8 nonconference record.

The past two years, the Hoosiers failed to finish nonconference play with a record above .500. The team went 7-4 in nonconference games during the 2009-10 season.

After playing three of its first four games on the road, the team will play eight of its nine remaining nonconference games at Assembly Hall before tipping off Big Ten play in January.

The nonconference schedule is highlighted by five games against in-state opponents, four games against teams from the Horizon League and a home matchup with Clemson in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Miller and the team will play Kentucky State at home in an exhibition game Oct. 30 before starting the regular season.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Hoosiers will open up regular season play on the road, this time traveling north to in-state foe Valparaiso. The Crusaders went 10-21 last season and didn’t play any Big Ten teams.

This will be the third time during the last five seasons that IU has played an in-state team to open the season.

The Hoosiers have won five of their last six season openers.

After opening the season, the team will stay on the road and challenge Murray State, whom IU beat 70-67 in last season’s home opener.

The Hoosiers will then return home to play Indiana State at Assembly Hall in Miller’s first regular season game in Bloomington.

Then it’s back to the road one more time to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Hoosiers defeated Corpus Christi 80-58 in their final nonconference tune-up last season.

Four days later, the team hosts IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and settles in for five consecutive home games.

IUPUI was one of two nonconference road wins for the Hoosiers last year, knocking off the Jaguars 65-64 in Indianapolis.

After a meeting with IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne, the team will play Clemson at home in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Hoosiers last played host to an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game in December 2009.

The Hoosiers played at Clemson in December 2010 and beat the Tigers 65-51.

A clash with Horizon League foe Cleveland State is next, followed by a matchup with Belmont, which the team beat 63-52 on the road last season.

The Hoosiers will then travel to Indianapolis to play Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse for its last nonconference road game of the season.

Then it’s back to Bloomington for three home games throughout 16 days in the back half of December to close out nonconference play and get ready for the Big Ten season.