SWOSU Basketball Releases 2015-16 Schedule

SWOSU Men's Basketball Coach Bob Battisti announced Thursday a 28-game schedule that awaits the Bulldogs for the 2015-16 season. SWOSU will play 22 of their games as part of a double round robin against the Great American Conference, while also playing five of their six non-conference games at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.

“We feel like we've put together a quality schedule that will be a very challenging test for our guys this season,” Battisti said. “With our league schedule expanding two more games, it cuts down the number of dates for non-conference play, but we have some very good in-region teams coming in for the SWOSU Classic and we are going to UCO, which is always a tough place to play.”

Following an exhibition game at Oklahoma City University on November 7, SWOSU kicks off the regular season with the return of the SWOSU Classic on November 13-14. The Bulldogs will host Nebraska-Kearney and Lindenwood during the classic, with games at 7:30 pm each evening.

League play then begins quickly for the Bulldogs as Arkansas Tech (Nov. 19) and Harding (Nov. 21) visit the PCEC for GAC meetings prior to a three-game road trip. SWOSU heads to Edmond on November 24 to face Central Oklahoma before heading to Arkansas for the first time as they take on Arkansas-Monticello (Dec. 3) and Southern Arkansas (Dec. 5) in league play.

A break from league play leaves the Bulldogs with their final three non-conference games, all of which at home throughout December and early January. SWOSU will host Southwestern Christian (Dec. 10), Panhandle State (Dec. 12) and Hillsdale Baptist (Jan. 2) before concluding the season with 18 consecutive GAC matchups.

The new calendar year gets started on the Bulldogs home court with three straight league games at the PCEC, including matchups with Henderson State (Jan. 7), Ouachita Baptist (Jan. 9) and East Central (Jan. 14) followed by a weekend trip to Southern Nazarene (Jan. 16). Rivalry games on the GAC schedule will be played on Monday evenings this year and SWOSU welcomes in Northwestern Oklahoma State on January 18 for their first meeting of the season.

A trip to Durant to face Southeastern Oklahoma State follows on January 21 and SWOSU returns home that Saturday for their first league meeting against Oklahoma Baptist, a new member of the Great American Conference, on January 23. SWOSU closes out the month of January on the road at Arkansas Tech (Jan. 28) and Harding (Jan. 30).

February opens up with Arkansas-Monticello (Feb. 4) and Southern Arkansas (Feb. 6) visiting the PCEC, prior to return trips to East Central (Feb. 11) and Northwestern Oklahoma State (Feb. 15) sandwiching a home date against Southern Nazarene (Feb. 13). Senior Night will have SWOSU at home to face Southeastern Oklahoma State on February 18 before concluding the regular season with three straight road games: at Oklahoma Baptist (Feb. 20), at Henderson State (Feb. 25) and at Ouachita Baptist (Feb. 27).

“The conference season is always a gauntlet and I expect our league to be very balanced again this season,” Battisti said. “Each team in the GAC is capable of beating every other team on any given night, so there will be plenty of great games for our fans to come out and enjoy at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.”

With 12 teams in the Great American Conference this season, and 11 expected to be eligible for postseason competition, the race for the GAC Tournament will be heated up in 2015-16. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason championship, which will be held in Bartlesville from March 3-6.

Battisti enters his third season leading the Bulldogs in 2015-16, welcoming back three starters off of a team that finished 16-13 overall and upset league champion Ouachita Baptist 71-67 in the opening round of the 2015 GAC Tournament.