BALTIMORE—UMBC head women’s basketball coach Phil Stern today announced his squad’s 2009-10 non-conference schedule, highlighted by three games against major conference opponents, as well as five in-state rivals. The Retrievers tip-off the 13-game slate on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. at the RAC Arena against national power Virginia.

“This is by far the most challenging non-conference schedule and will surely prepare us for the rigors of America East play,” Stern said. “We are especially thrilled to have nationally ranked Virginia coming to the RAC.”

Virginia, which ranked as high as No. 11 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll last season, earned its third straight postseason berth and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Retrievers and Cavaliers.

UMBC also hosts MEAC semifinalist Maryland-Eastern Shore in the first half of a UMBC hoops doubleheader on Sunday, Nov. 15. The Retriever women take on the Hawks at 1 p.m. before the men open their season against Morgan State at 3:30 p.m.

The Retrievers finish the month of November on the road at Saint Joseph’s (Nov. 21), Towson (Nov. 24) and Bucknell (Nov. 29). UMBC has not faced the Hawks since 2002 or the Bison since 1998. However, the game against the Tigers marks the 44th all-time meeting between the two teams in the Retrievers’ longest-standing rivalry, which dates to 1969.

UMBC begins December with a pair of home games against in-state rival Navy (Dec. 2) and nearby Delaware (Dec. 5). The Retrievers have won four of the last five games against the Midshipmen, a 2009 Patriot League semifinalist, including last season’s 85-77 decision at the RAC.

The Retrievers then hit the road for the rest of the month, traveling to cross-town foes Coppin State (Dec. 12) and Loyola (Dec. 20), and Big Ten opponent West Virginia (Dec. 22) before closing out 2009 at the Fordham Holiday Classic, where they will face East Carolina and the host Rams Dec. 28-29 in the Bronx, N.Y.

UMBC concludes its non-conference slate on Sunday, Jan. 3, at ACC foe Virginia Tech.

The America East portion of UMBC’s schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

The Retrievers posted an 8-5 non-conference record last season and return 96 percent of its offense from a 2008-09 squad that scored more than 2,000 points for just the second time in school history.

November

Fri. 13        VIRGINIA                7 p.m.

Sun. 15      UMES                      1 p.m.

Sat. 21       at St. Joseph’s           2 p.m.

Tues. 24     at Towson                 7 p.m.

Sun. 29      at Bucknell                2 p.m.

December

Wed. 2       NAVY                      7 p.m.

Sat. 5         DELAWARE            2 p.m.

Sat. 12       at Coppin State         2 p.m.

Sun. 20      at Loyola                   2 p.m.

Tues. 22     at West Virginia         12 p.m.

Mon. 28     vs. East Carolina^      3 p.m.

Tues. 29     at Fordham^              1 p.m.

January

Sun. 3        at Virginia Tech         2 p.m.

^Fordham Holiday Classic

Home Games in BOLD CAPS.