Women's Basketball | 8/11/2024 12:00:00 PM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Head coach Heather Macy has released her first full schedule as the women's basketball coach at Barry University. The Bucs have 28 games on tap, with half of them coming at home.
"We are looking forward to jumping on the road early and being tested in the non-conference schedule," Macy said. "The crossover tournament this year is in Memphis. It is always fun and a good indicator to evaluate a young team. The four non-conference home games that we scheduled in Miami Shores will create momentum for our community and student body. I believe we are building a program that everyone can be proud to get behind and support."
The season tips off with the Sunshine State Conference/Gulf South Conference Crossover Challenge, Nov. 8-9. After playing in Rome, Ga., two years ago and hosting the event last season, the Bucs travel to play at Christian Brothers. Shorter, who hosted the 2022 Crossover, dropped out as they are moving to the Peach Belt Conference and Trevecca Nazarene joined the GSC and will replace the Hawks in the tournament. Barry split the first two meetings with Christian Brothers, falling Rome in 2022 and beating them at home last year. CBU is coming off a 2-26 campaign. It will be the first meeting with the Trojans, who finished 19-12 last year, playing in the Great Midwest Conference.
The Bucs come home for a pair of non-conference home games. On Nov. 13 they will face Florida National (15-12). The Bucs have won all four meetings with the Conquistadors, include a 103-42 win last year. On Nov. 18, the Bucs face the Fort Lauderdale Eagles for the first time. UTFL went 4-16 last season.
Barry opens SSC play on Nov. 23, on the road at Embry-Riddle. The Eagles have a 10-5 edge in the series, including both games last year, as they went 20-10, 13-7 in the SSC.
The Bucs host a tri-meet over Thanksgiving weekend, the Dan Olson Alumni Shootout1. Barry hosts South Carolina-Beaufort in the first meeting between the teams on Friday, Nov. 29, while Lynn takes on Limestone, then Barry plays the Saints on Saturday, Nov. 30. The Sand Sharks went 9-17 last season, while Limestone finished 10-18. The Bucs won the only other meeting with the Saints in 2022.
After Thanksgiving, the Bucs face Palm Beach Atlantic (Dec. 4) and Nova Southeastern (Dec. 14) on the road in SSC play and host the Rollins Tars on Dec. 7. Barry have a 33-9 edge over the Sailfish (15-14, 9-11) after splitting the series last year. Against Rollins (13-14, 10-10), the Bucs trail 51-27, falling in both games a year ago. The Sharks also swept the season series last year en-route to winning the regular season title (25-6, 18-2) and hold a 34-19 edge in the series.
Barry travels up to north Georgia prior to the Christmas break, taking on Emmanuel on Dec. 19 and Young Harris on Dec. 20 in Franklin Springs at the Shaw Center. It will mark the first meetings with both teams. Emmanuel finished 17-11 last season, while YHC went 16-14.
"It's pretty special to have an opportunity to take some of our players back home over the holiday break to play in front of friends and family. Overall, I believe this non-conference schedule provides unique challenges and great opportunity for our team," Macy said.
After the break, the Bucs sail into the heart of the SSC schedule and do not venture outside the rest of the season. On New Year's Day, the Bucs host the Saint Leo Lions (12-16, 6-14). Though the Lions won both meetings last year, the Bucs own a 50-25 edge in the series.
Barry plays Florida Tech (10-21, 5-15) in the Health & Sports Center on Jan. 4. Barry won both meetings with the Panthers last season, but Tech has a 46-36 edge overall.
Barry hits the road for a pair the following week, visiting Florida Southern (16-13, 8-12) on Jan. 11 and Lynn (14-15, 9-11) on Jan. 15. The Mocs hold the edge in the series at 59-20, but the Bucs lead the Knights 36-27. The Mocs won both meetings last year, while the Bucs split with the Knights.
The Bucs close out the first half of the conference slate at home against Eckerd (Jan. 18) and Tampa (Jan. 22). Eckerd (20-12, 11-9) is coming off the SSC Tournament championship, while Tampa (31-7, 17-3) won the South Region championship and advanced to the Elite Eight. Both teams swept Barry last year, but the Bucs lead Eckerd 39-32, while Tampa leads 59-23.
The Buccaneers play their way through the league again to close the regular season, hosting PBA (Jan. 29), NSU (Feb. 1), Florida Southern (Feb. 15), Lynn (Feb. 19) and Embry-Riddle (Mar. 1), while paying visits to Rollins (Jan. 25), Saint Leo (Feb. 5), Florida Tech (Feb. 8), Eckerd (Feb. 22) and Tampa (Feb. 26).
The SSC Tournament runs Mar. 4-9 at campus sites. NCAA Bid are announced on Mar. 9, with the regional on Mar. 14-17 and the Elite Eight Mar. 24-28 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
ABOUT DAN OLSON
Olson began his successful career in women's basketball in 1991 as head women's basketball coach at Barry University, where he not only created the team from its inception, but also was named Sunshine State Conference Coach-of-the-Year and made Barry the first team in conference history to make the NCAA tournament. He later utilized his creativity and formula for success at Lynn University, developing another program from its inception into a nationwide powerhouse in just three years.
