HOUSTON —- Ron Cottrell, James Sears Bryant Head Coach, announced the release of Houston Christian University's 2023-24 non-conference schedule on Sunday. The 11-game slate brings the total schedule to 29 games, with an 18-game Southland Conference campaign beginning on January 6.
"Once again, we have constructed an extremely challenging non-conference schedule in order to prepare us for the rigors of the Southland Conference," said Cottrell. "While this schedule is highlighted by a number of road games against perennial national powers, we are also happy to have such high-quality opponents to come to Sharp Gym in Florida International and UTSA."
The non-conference schedule features four home games and just two outings outside the state of Texas. The Huskies will begin the season in Provo, Utah on November 6 when they battle BYU in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
HCU will have a nine-day break after the season opener before hitting the home hardwood for two consecutive games. The home opener features a return game with Florida International with the Huskies will be looking to avenge a 77-66 loss to the Panthers in last year's season opener in Miami.
The Huskies will then welcome UTSA to Sharp Gym for the first time since 2018-19 when the Roadrunners sped out of town with a nail-biting 86-82 victory that evened the all-time series at five games apiece.
Thanksgiving weekend will spent on a Big 12 trip against two-clubs that advanced to the postseason in 2022-23. The Huskies head to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a Black Friday date with Oklahoma State, followed by a Monday night match-up with TCU in Fort Worth. The Cowboys advanced to the NIT quarterfinals last year, while the Horned Frogs were defeated by Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
A return to Houston has the Huskies facing off with in-town rival Rice in a Saturday matinee at Tudor Fieldhouse to open the month of December. HCU and the Owls have played each other 11 times since the 2011 season, including last year's
Darius Lee Classic hosted by Rice as part of the Owl Invitational.
December 6 marks the third home game of the season with Southwestern Adventist descending on Sharp. HCU has knocked off the Knights in each of the past two seasons, including last year's game that saw senior post
Bonke Maring put up a 30-point, 15-rebound night in a 94-62 victory.
For the third straight season, HCU will make the trek up 290 to Austin for a tussle with Texas. The Longhorns are ranked in the Top 20 in several publications, with the official NCAA Top 25 yet to be released. UT went 29-9 last season and advanced to the Elite Eight.
The fourth and final home game of the non-conference slate comes just after final exams on December 16 as HCU clashes with Champion Christian.
A pre-Christmas trip to Dallas and College Station closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule. HCU will face SMU on December 19, followed by a meeting with Texas A&M on December 22. The Aggies lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season, and have been selected to to several publication's Top 20 rankings.
"We feel this schedule presents us with opportunities to grow as a team and it gets us ready to compete in the conference championship race," added Cottrell. "The SLC appears to be more wide-open than it has been since we joined the conference in 2013-14."
The Huskies will begin conference play on January 6 at home against Nicholls. The Southland Conference Tournament will again be held at the Legacy Center on the campus of McNeese from March 10-13.
#DawgsUp
