USI women's basketball accepts invitation to Thanksgiving tournament in Puerto Rico

USI women’s basketball accepts invitation to Thanksgiving tournament in Puerto Rico

Posted by Admin July 15, 2024 Basketball

Fresh off their first Division I postseason appearance, the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles women’s basketball team has accepted an invitation to the largest Thanksgiving multi-team event for the 2024-25 campaign.

USI announced Monday it will compete in the 2024 D-I Women’s Basketball Puerto Rico Clasico in San Juan, Puerto Rico this November. The Thanksgiving weekend tournament, organized by Puerto Rico College Sports Tours, runs Nov. 27-30 with USI featured to compete on Nov. 29-30.

Official matchups will be announced at a later date.

“Our team is extremely excited to take our ‘game’ on the road to Puerto Rico,” USI coach Rick Stein said in a release. “We are always hunting the toughest schedule to help us prepare for Ohio Valley Conference play, and I feel like this event will help our team be ready for a tough conference schedule in January, February and March.”

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Puerto Rico College Sports Tours’ mission is to provide unique opportunities for players and fans alike to enjoy the thrill of competition along with the tropical splendor and enchantments of a Caribbean destination.

Other participating teams include:

American University (Patriot League)
Brown University (Ivy League)
Colorado State University (Mountain West Conference)
Kent State University (Mid-American Conference)
Le Moyne College (Northeast Conference)
San Jose State University (Mountain West Conference)
Towson University (Coastal Athletic Association)
United States Air Force Academy (Mountain West Conference)
University of Massachusetts Lowell (America East Conference)
University of North Carolina Greensboro (Southern Conference)
University of North Carolina Wilmington (Coastal Athletic Conference)
University of Texas at San Antonio (American Athletic Conference)
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Horizon League)
Winthrop University (Big South Conference)
Youngstown State University (Horizon League)

USI reached new heights last winter after winning the OVC regular season and tournament titles. The Eagles finished 25-7, their best record since 2017, and appeared in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. They aim to keep raising the bar with key returners and many more impact players.

They’re still finalizing the rest of the non-conference and Ohio Valley Conference matchups. The full slate is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“Our women’s basketball program is coming off an outstanding season, and because of that, the already difficult task of scheduling has become more difficult,” USI athletics director Jon Mark Hall added in the release. “We are very excited to be invited to participate in an event with such a strong field where we will face two quality opponents on a neutral floor.”