Holiday Week FINALS:

Wednesday:
Dayton 72, Providence 56
William & Mary 56, VCU 48

Thursday:
Central Michigan 61, Richmond 56

Friday:
Fordham 74, Incarnate Word 42
George Washington 74, N.C. State 66
La Salle 71, LIU Brooklyn 66
Mercer 80, Saint Louis 75 (2 OT)
Abilene Christian 88, George Mason 86 (UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, Kansas City)
Rhode Island 60, Towson 49

Saturday:
Saint Joseph's 64, St. Francis (NY) 42
Duquesne 90, Jackson State 72 (Ball State Thanksgiving Classic)
Rhode Island 66, LIU Brooklyn 49
George Mason 71, Mississippi Valley State 62 (UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, Kansas City)
George Washington 79, Purdue 59 (Junkanoo Jam Championship, Bahamas)
Arkansas 74, Richmond 55
La Salle 62, Towson 49

Sunday:
St. Bonaventure 72, Binghamton 54
#21 Rutgers 100, Davidson 44
UMass 67, Central Florida 62
Duquesne 82, Ball State 62 (Ball State Thanksgiving Classic Championship)
Seton Hall 77, Saint Joseph's 60
Drake 62, Fordham 56 (UTSA Thanksgiving Classic)

Holiday Schedule of Games....

Previews available by clicking the hyperlinks....

WEDNESDAY:
Providence at Dayton, 7pm (Watch LIVE on A-10 Network by clicking HERE)
VCU at William & Mary, 7pm (Listen LIVE on Rams Radio by clicking HERE)

THURSDAY:
Richmond vs. Central Michigan, 8pm (South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas)

Monday AND Tuesday Finals!

MONDAY SCORES:
George Washington 89, Grambling State 51
Vanderbilt 75, Saint Louis 57 (For Coach Lisa Stone's postgame interview, click HERE)
Columbia 79, Rhode Island 69 (OT)

TUESDAY'S SCORES:
La Salle 61, Manhattan 48
St. Bonaventure 56, Penn State 54
Navy 84, George Mason 79
Davidson 76, High Point 47
Fordham 49, Delaware 44
Duquesne 89, Howard 63
Drexel 76, Saint Joseph's 63

WEEKEND FINALS....

We'll update this post as games go final....

SATURDAY:
St. Bonaventure 68, Detroit 56
Liberty 76, Saint Joseph's 75
Green Bay 84, Duquesne 52
Iowa 90, Dayton 83 (Hawkeye Challenge Tournament Championship)
#8 Maryland 75, George Washington 65
La Salle 65, Howard 64


SUNDAY:
Florida State 73, UMass 47 (North Texas Tournament)
George Mason 71, College of Charleston 61
Davidson 67, Mount St. Mary's 62
Ohio State 96, VCU 86

FRIDAY FINALS....

The conference goes 4-0 to start the weekend!

Dayton 78, Tennessee-Martin 47
Fordham 60, Hofstra 42
Saint Louis 74, Southeast Missouri State 56
UMass 56, North Texas 46

Updated non-conference records on the right of the page!  We'll have weekend scores as they become available!

Midweek Action: Wednesday, Thursday Games....

Atlantic 10 teams go 5-1 and give a Top 25 team a scare on Wednesday night. Plus Coach Daynia La-Force picks up her first win at Rhode Island and La Salle wins a "Big Five" showdown! Here are the results:

#23 Syracuse 90, Duquesne 84
UMass 68, Maine 60
George Mason 110, Delaware State 91
Rhode Island 75, UMass Lowell 66
George Washington 88, Bowie State 45
La Salle 57, Penn 29


THURSDAY:

VCU at Maryland Eastern Shore, 6pm
Davidson at Gardner-Webb, 7pm
Longwood at Richmond, 7pm
St. Bonaventure at Toledo, 7pm

TUESDAY FINALS...

In a matinee in Lynchburg, VCU fell for the first time this season at the hands of the Liberty Flames, 69-53. Camille Calhoun led the Rams, now 2-1, with 17 points.

In a "Big Five" battle in Philly in their home opener, Saint Joseph's missed a chance to win in regulation, but made up for it with tough play in the final minute of overtime to knock off rival Temple 78-74. Ciara Andrews and Kathleen Fitzpatrick each scored 14 points for the Hawks (1-1).

Defending tournament champion Fordham notched their first win of the season, 61-37 at home over Mount St. Mary's. The Rams (1-2) next host Hofstra of the CAA on Friday night.

Updated non-conference standings are to the right of the page.

Monday Finals...

Saint Louis 74, SIUE 63
USC 99, Davidson 64
George Washington 63, American 52

Weekend Results: VCU, Richmond Lone Unbeatens....

SATURDAY:
East Carolina 66, Rhode Island 38

SUNDAY:
Richmond 65, Georgetown 57 (Spiders improve to 2-0)
VCU 55, Presbyterian 36 (Rams improve to 2-0)
Princeton 79, Duquesne 62
Syracuse 59, Fordham 42
James Madison 76, St. Bonaventure 43
Gonzaga 75, Dayton 65
Morehead State 79, George Mason 70
Central Michigan 72, UMass 70

OPENING NIGHT FINALS:

On an emotional afternoon at the Robins Center, Richmond women's basketball honored the memories of Associate Head Coach Ginny Doyle and Director of Basketball Operations Natalie Lewis, lost in a May hot-air balloon accident, with ceremonies, and with victory.

Liz Brown scored 17 points as the Spiders (1-0) knocked off Providence from the Big East 76-59 in their season opener.

VCU got their first victory for new head coach Beth O'Boyle, 84-75 over Wagner Friday at the Siegel Center. Camille Calhoun had 21 points and 16 rebounds for the 1-0 Rams, who host Presbyterian Sunday afternoon.

George Mason, meanwhile, knocked off Virginia Tech 77-69 at the Patriot Center to move to 1-0. Taylor Brown scored a career-high 35 points as the Patriots beat the Hokies for the first time in 25 years.

OTHER FINALS:

Marshall 61, Rhode Island 45
Iona 72, Fordham 51
Temple 75, La Salle 72
Furman 67, Davidson 60
Florida Gulf Coast 88, George Washington 75
St. Bonaventure 62, Canisius 46
Western Michigan 61, UMass 43
Washington State 76, Dayton 60
Indiana State 63, Saint Louis 60
Rutgers 76, Saint Joseph's 52

OPENING DAY SCHEDULE!

It's FINALLY time to play for real!  The Road To RVA hits a big milestone today as the following games will be played (all times eastern):

Iona at Fordham, 11:30AM
Providence at Richmond, 4PM
La Salle at Temple, 4:30PM
Virginia Tech at George Mason, 5PM
Davidson at Furman, 6PM
George Washington at Florida Gulf Coast, 7PM
Wagner at VCU, 7PM
Canisius at St. Bonaventure, 7PM
Saint Joseph's at Rutgers, 7PM
Saint Louis at Indiana State, 7:05PM
UMass at Western Michigan, 8:30PM
Dayton at Washington State, 10PM

NOTE: In the lone Saturday game, Rhode Island plays its first game for new head coach Daynia La-Force when they welcome East Carolina for a game at 3pm.

Score updates will be posted for all Atlantic 10 women's teams all season long on Twitter at @TheRVASportsNet as the Road To RVA is fully underway!

"14 in 14" Preview #5: Richmond Spiders

No one can understand the unique atmosphere and circumstances that face the players, coaches, and staff at the University of Richmond as the new season dawns.

There will be a hole that exists with the team no matter what, as they continue, both individually and collectively, continue to mourn, and get used to, the loss of associate head coach Ginny Doyle and director of basketball operations Natalie Lewis in a tragic hot air balloon accident near Doswell on May 9th. With this most difficult burden to bear, the team will hope to take solace and refuge by getting to work, and resolving to make this the most successful season Richmond can possibly have.

TEAM: Richmond Spiders
HEAD COACH: Michael Shaffer (10th season, William & Mary '94)
2013-14 RECORD: 14-16 (8-8 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Genevieve Okoro (6' redshirt senior forward): 11.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
--Keri Soppe (5' 9" senior guard): 5.5 ppg, 86% FT percentage
--Olivia Healy (5' 11" sophomore guard): 12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
--Janelle Hubbard (5' 8" sophomore guard): 11.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg

RVA Sports Network spoke with Coach Shaffer about this most difficult of offseasons and how the Spiders hope to respond.

1) How have you been able to find balance between the healing process and coaching responsibilites so that you can translate that balance to your players?

Shaffer: "I think the biggest thing, and I've urged our team to do this as well, is to dig deeper within ourselves. To really look inside yourself and start to deal with some emotions, deal with some feelings that I don't think people normally do, particularly in this generation, where we are culturally, and in society right now. Everything's instant, and on the surface. Our "friends" are on Facebook and not in real life, so I've urged them to allow themselves to dig, and to go deeper, and that's what I've done. What it's allowed me to do, is to be a little more compassionate, a little bit more understanding of the process as opposed to the end result. I focus more on the process and I've urged our team to do that. I think they're doing a really good job of that.

But there's days. There's days for me, there's days for the players, there's days for the staff. We're nowhere close to out of the woods, but it does feel really good to be together and be on the floor."

2) Let's talk about the players: how is Olivia returning from her injury, how is the team itself doing?

Shaffer: "I think the players are doing great. We've got five newcomers, and I think that's a positive. Now I don't know if it's a positive situation when it comes to winning games, but it's a positive thing in terms of healing, not that they weren't involved, they were recruited by Ginny and things like that, but they bring a new energy and a new life, and that's one-third of your team.

As for Liv, she's still in rehab mode. She's in practice, not in contact, but anticipate that she will be. Having her back will change our dynamics a little bit. We're different than we've been in the past. We're bigger, we have more strength, and we're actually faster, so we can put a few different combinations out there that I don't think people have seen from us in the past.

3) Does having these new abilites and traits make you have to change what you do as a coach philosophically based on what you have?

Shaffer: "What it does is, I like the way we play, I like the way we cut and move, and with the new rules and with freedom of movement being an emphasis, that's kind of where we've been. At the same time, as the season wears on, that freedom of movement kind of gets lost a little bit, and you'll need to have some strength and size, and bulk inside, so we recruited for that reason to get that. At the same time, if there's incidental contact, you still have to be able to play through it. These kids will be able to do that."


OUTLOOK: When Shaffer was asked what a "successful season" for his squad would be in the midst of all that has happened over the last six months, he quickly responded, "Winning The A-10". He also added he doesn't see a middle ground here, either they will win or, in his words, "fall on our face".

That may be tough for Spiders fans to read, but his sincerity, and his realistic look on the unique make-up of physical, psychological and emotional issues that will either help make or break the Spiders is refreshing. Many coaches would hide it away, put it in a box until the off-season.

On the court, a healthy Olivia Healy does wonders for Richmond. She was in the hunt for Atlantic 10 Rookie of The Year until she was lost to a knee injury in late January. When she does return, she'll need to make increasing shooting percentage, both from the field and the free throw line, a top priority.

Janelle Hubbard needs to have a better season after a stellar freshman campaign, and someone needs to step up to join Okoro down low so teams don't laser-focus on Genevieve.

Richmond-area fans will be rooting for two freshman to see playing, as Glen Allen grad Alicia Hudalla, a 6' 1" forward and Monacan grad Micaela Parson, a 5' 7" guard join the Spiders.

The Spiders don't want mediocrity. They want a special season, for people who were very special to them. If they strike the right balance between playing with emotion and playing with efficiency, it can certainly happen.

"14 in 14" Preview #4: Saint Louis BIllikens

Just on the cusp of the nine-team race in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 standings last season were the Billikens of Saint Louis.

Finishing .500 at home in conference play (4-4) hurt, but veteran head coach Lisa Stone, starting her third season with the Billikens, enjoys a full returning starting lineup, on top of five exciting freshmen. Saint Louis is positioning themselves for a winning season in the A-10, and maybe more.

TEAM: Saint Louis Billikens
HEAD COACH: Lisa Stone (3rd season, University of Iowa '84)
2013-14 RECORD: 12-18 (7-9 in A-10)
RETURNING STARTERS:
--Erin Nelson (5' 10" sophomore forward): 14.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
--Desirae Ball (5' 9" redshirt senior guard): 12.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
--Denisha Womack (6' 1" junior forward): 10.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg
--Jamesia Price (5' 7" redshirt junior guard): 7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
--Olivia Jakubicek (5' 10" sophomore forward): 6.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg

RVA Sports Network spoke with Stone about the Billikens' hopes for 2014-15.

1) What are your expectations for the freshman this season?

Stone: "I'm really excited. It's the first ranked recruiting class Saint Louis has ever had for women's basketball. Jackie Kemph (5' 7" guard) and Jenny Vliet (6' 2" guard) are teammates from high school (Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, IL) who played for two state championships their junior and senior year. Kemph was recruited by a number of major, major schools, chose Saint Louis with Vliet, a three-point shooter and great, great player. Both have tremendous instincts and should see significant time their freshman year.

Maddison Gits grew up in my hometown (Fitchburg, WI) and is actually best friends with my niece, so I've known her a long time. She has an unbelievable up side; she's got great size, was a tremendous volleyball player, great basketball player, averaging over 20 and 20 in high school. When she gets it, it's going to be special. Aaliyah Covington is a guard whose sister played for me at Wisconsin, so I know her family, their work ethic, and what they stand for. She's a tremendously gifted player, still working on the adjustments, but is going to give us some minutes hopefully, particularly by conference time. Then Shea Shipman, you've got to kick her out of the gym. A 6' 1" guard from Kansas City, in the gym, all the time. She'll need to pick up on defense. Overall, a nice freshman class."

2) Right now, though, does the world revolve around the likes of Ball, Nelson, and Sadie Stipanovich?

Stone: "It does. Right now, Desirae (Ball) is coming off a summer recovering from some knee clean-out at the end of last season, so she's got fifth-year senior knees, but is a player that when the lights go on, she'll be there. I trust her, I respect her, she's a leader. Nelson and Stipanovich are both from Saint Louis, so it's always great when your local players do well. Nelson was our leading scorer, Sadie was a part-time starter, and really wants to be in the mix this year, both have had good off-seasons, and they're just sophomores.

Denisha Womack is a player people kinda forget about. She had a 20 and 20 game against UMass at season's end, and is probably our most gifted player. She'll give us versatility and athleticism both in and out. And there's Jamesia Price, a three-ACL surgery girl. She's back, and is such a tough kid. You've got to be tough to blow your knee out three times, two on one, one of the other, and return. She's the one in there taking charges, grinding away, gives us an identity of toughness."

3) How do you make sure the Billikens reach the top half of the conference this year after knocking on the door last season?

Stone: "We went through a period last year when we lost a bunch of games in the middle of the season, then all of a sudden won eight of our last twelve. We got hot at the right time, but we didn't finish at the conference tournament the way we wanted to, so that stings. With young players, that's still fresh in their mind, because they want to win. Competitive practices have helped because everyone is battling for playing time. If we can take that same hunger and desire and put it on game day against a Saint Joe's, Saint Bonaventure, Fordham, Dayton, whatever, the floodgates could open. But it's a one-game-at-a-time deal. The coaches in this league are too good to know that you can't take a day off. The parity is at, I believe, an all-time high this year. It's time that A-10 women's basketball rises to the same notoriety as A-10 men's basketball."

OUTLOOK: Saint Joseph's and Saint Bonaventure can both attest to the talent at Saint Louis, as both lost to the Billikens late in the regular season. The five returning starters gave Saint Louis 50 points per contest last year. Add to them a year's experience, and an impressive crop of new players, and the Billikens, under the veteran leadership of Stone (527 career victories), could make their mark much, much higher than last year's tenth place finish.

They'll get battle tested on non-conference trips to Vanderbilt, Tulsa and Missouri, then open A-10 play on the road at George Mason January 4th, then to UMass January 7th. A road win or two early, then a victory over VCU in their home conference opener January 12th could propel them into the race. Late January presents a gauntlet, with home games with Fordham and Saint Joseph's before a trip to preseason favorite Dayton January 31st.

"14 in 14" Preview #3: Rhode Island Rams

After a 7-23 campaign and only two victories in the Atlantic 10, the University of Rhode Island made a change at the top of their women's basketball program. 

Daynia La-Force was named as the eighth head coach in program history, taking over a team with tons of experience. Five players started at least 16 games last year, and 84 percent of the team's offense production returns. Questions, though, still abound, namely, how can the returning crew mesh with the new coach, and make a run towards the upper echelon of the conference. The Rams haven't had a winning season in conference play in 19 years. The Rams are hungry.

Team: Rhode Island Rams

Head Coach: Daynia La-Force (1st season, Georgetown '95)

2013-14 Record: 7-23 (2-14 in A-10)

Returning Starters:

--Tayra Melendez (5' 11" junior guard): 13.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg

--Sam Tabakman (6' 3" junior forward): 9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg

--Sydney Lewis (5' 11" senior guard): 6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg

--Kallie Banker (5 10" redshirt sophomore guard): 5.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg

RVA Sports Network spoke with La-Force about her new adventure, building the Rams program.

1) What drew you to Rhode Island?

La-Force: "You know, the opportunity to rebuild. It's always been part of my niche as a basketball coach. I've been with several programs where I've learned how to successfully rebuild a program, and I saw that opportunity at Rhode Island. Especially being in the A-10, a very competitive conference, and now an opportunity to start over and be part of something great."

2) What made you choose Rhode Island specifically as opposed to other rebuilding opportunities?

La-Force: "The people at Rhode Island. I had been affiliated with some people at Rhode Island for about three years and it's a great state. It's small, but a state filled with a lot of big thinkers and passionate people. Everyone I've met over the past few years who have been affiliated with the University of Rhode Island always talked of how proud they were of the athletics program and how much support that was there. I visited a couple of times and fell in love with the Ryan Center. So, to me, it was a no-brainer to go into a situation where there was so much support."

3) How do change the mindset of the team?

La-Force: "You have to inherit young ladies who want to win, young ladies who understand the commitment it takes, passionate about winning and changing the program. If I had to come into a situation where I'd have to struggle to change the culture, it would be a lot more difficult. But they've embraced something new; they want to win so badly. I've never been around a group of young women who want to win so badly. The will to win is already there. It's now about giving them the tools and the techniques to do it."

4) Who will be your floor generals, on and off the court?

La-Force: "Our captains: Megan Straumann, who is a senior. She hasn't had a lot of success at Rhode Island, and she wants to go out with a bang. (NOTE: Straumann was limited to 15 games due to injury in 2013-14.) She will do whatever it takes to make sure this is a successful year for her and her team. She wants to leave a legacy, part of the group that first started the placing of URI on the rise, and she shows it every single day with her effort in practice."

OUTLOOK: It's very hard to change a culture, especially one that seeks a winning record in their conference for the first time in almost two decades. La-Force will also look for contributions from her freshmen, 5' 11" guards Dominique Ward and Charise Wilson, and 6' 3" forward Tylor Raysor, who she calls "the future of URI women's basketball". 

La-Force's biggest challenge is to find consistent scoring options, as only two returning players averaged nine points or higher last year. You need three good, consistent options in the A-10, with one or two more coming off the bench capable of giving a spark.

La-Force had success late in her tenure at Northeastern, named CAA Coach of the Year in 2012-13. This will take time. But if the Rhode Island supporters see some progress this year, even if it's not reflected in the overall record, they will reward with patience as the rebuilding process continues. 

The Rams begin the season with back-to-back home games against Marshall and East Carolina November 14th and 15th and begin Atlantic 10 play at home to Duquesne on January 3rd.

"14 in 14" Preview #2: UMass Minutewomen

It was a trying time in Amherst for head coach Sharon Dawley and UMass last season, as they won just one conference game, then fell in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament to George Mason. But they do return two important starters and bring in a half-dozen new players, plus new assistant coach Yolanda Griffith, a former WNBA Defensive Player of The Year and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, as the Minutewomen look to climb the ranks of the Atlantic 10.

Team: UMass Minutewomen
Head Coach: Sharon Dawley (5th season)
2013-14 Record: 4-27 (1-15 in A-10)
Returning Starters:
--Kim Pierre-Louis (6' senior forward): 14.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg
--Emily Mital (5' 8" senior guard): 8.4 ppg, 9th in 3-pt shooting percentage (36.6%)

1) What did you and your team learn about mentality and mindset through last season?

Dawley: "I think the most important thing you can do is have a mentality of "next play", "next series", "next game". We had some quality games last year, but we couldn't get past the "what if". If we had grabbed a couple (of wins) early, I think it would have catapulted us into a lot more wins, so I think everybody, head coach, players, coaches, it's "next play".

2) When trying to break through in the Atlantic 10, does that make the non-conference slate that much more important?

Dawley: "It's huge. Our non-conference is huge because that's the only way we'll be ready to battle in the A-10. You know, our conference is so strong, so mature, it's going to take a great non-conference, maybe not undefeated, but great battles, and learning "next play", and learning to stick together and learning that it will come. We need a great non-conference experience to get us to the A-10."

UMass finished at #127 in strength of schedule last year. The non-conference slate begins with a trip to Michigan to face both Western Michigan (November 14) and Central Michigan (November 16) before their home opener November 19th vs. Maine. A date with the ACC's Florida State looms on November 23rd, and the Minutewomen will usher in the holidays at the Georgia State Tournament December 19th and 20th, facing Georgia State and Ohio.

The Minutewomen will have twelve games before A-10 play begins January 3rd at St. Bonaventure.

3) Is there more that can be done to make opponents fear a trip to Amherst?

Dawley: "I think, as a program, we need to strengthen our resume, and then people will fear coming to Massachusetts. But until you have that resume, you're not feared. It doesn't matter where you are."

4) Who's handling the load this season?

Dawley: "We have a lot of leaders, both in the senior and junior class, probably five or six of them that we lean on for different things. As for production, right away, Kim Pierre-Louis. She's going to be very productive and we need her to be. Rashida Timbilla, a junior, (8.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg in 25 starts, 28 games), a phenomenal player, could play any position on the floor. We need her to step up, and she has to score for us. Points, from day one, we need Kim and Rashida to carry a lot of the burden, but leadership, that's spread around."

Dawley says she expects production from her incoming freshman, including the possibility of one to crack the starting lineup. She's hoping for an 8-9 player rotation. Dawley also says the non-conference season will be key to the maturation of redshirt junior point guard Amber Dillon, who Dawley hopes can be a consistent floor general for UMass this season.

OUTLOOK: Nothing will come easy in Amherst this year. The twelve games before league play will create a more battle-tested team, but Dawley will know much more about her team by January 18th, when she will have faced Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia, and rising star George Washington at home. There's plenty of reason to believe the Minutewomen will win more than just one conference game. But the reality is, every win will have to be well-earned, with excellent execution. UMass is in the bottom group with George Mason and Rhode Island trying to crack into the Top 10 in league standings. We'll see what happens.

"14 in 14" Preview #1: Davidson, The Newest #A10 Member

Over the next two weeks, we'll be sharing portions of our conversations with Atlantic 10 women's basketball head coaches from their recent Media Day here in Richmond to get you ready for November 14th, the night 13 of 14 teams begin their new seasons.

First up, the newest member of the conference.

Team: Davidson Wildcats
Head Coach: Michele Savage (Northwestern '93, 5th season)
2013-14 Record: 16-16 (11-7 in Southern Conference)
Returning Starters:
--Dakota Dukes (6' junior forward): 14.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg
--Hannah Early (6' 1" senior forward): 13.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg
--Shannon Eriksson (5' 7" senior guard): 5.4 ppg, 78% FT pct.)
--Lillian McCabe (6' senior guard): 4.6 ppg,

1) What is Davidson Basketball?

Savage: "We've been a successful program for the past four years in the SoCon (Southern Conference), winning the league, going to the NIT, things of that sort. It's good, fundamental basketball, that's what we are. It's going to be exciting to watch us play."

2) Are you more of a defensive-oriented team?

Savage: "Absolutely not. We have got to improve on defense, bottom line. Last year, we scored about as many points a game as we gave up. When you do that, you get 16-16. We need to dedicate and refocus on the defensive end."

3) How do you prepare your team for the Atlantic 10? It's exciting, but does it leave any questions in the back of their minds?

Savage: "I would certainly think so. We started with them (on this process) last year in the spring when the pairings came out and had them watch the three schools (Dayton, St. Joseph's, Fordham) playing in the NCAA Tournament to say, hey, this is now our competition. They came back with very good, valid points on the differences, and a lot of it was strength. So we went to the weight room, working to build our strength and not worry about how we look in shorts. It's more for safety, and being able to hold our own on the floor, and they really bought into that."

Savage explained to RVA Sports Network another big change is transitioning from a "bus league" to a "plane league", and how traveling will be a totally new experience for her squad. Whereas most Southern Conference schools are a bus trip away, life in the A-10 provides opportunities to play far away from Davidson, North Carolina in conference, from Amherst, Massachusetts to St. Louis, Missouri.

4) How about the freshman class? You certainly tried to bring new players in knowing they would be coming to an Atlantic 10 program, it had to add a new dimension to recruiting.

Savage: "It certainly does, because most of my team signed up for the SoCon, so our team motto this year is "Sacrifice". Returning players have to do a lot more, you have to sacrifice, and they've embraced it. We are expecting our freshmen to be key players; they will play a lot this first year. The opportunity for them to play in the A-10 was there, and when you're combining talent, you're trying to get the most out that you can from everybody. Players may have started at different levels, but we're trying to bring everyone up to the new level."

This will be the 42nd season of Davidson women's basketball, half of them were spent in the Southern Conference. Their last postseason win was two years ago, at Old Dominion in the first round of the WNIT.

The Wildcats have never met nine of their new conference partners. They lost their only games against Rhode Island (1995-96), Saint Joseph's (2008-09) and Richmond (last season). They are 1-2 all-time against Duquesne.

They'll get an early test of the new benchmark of strength and conditioning when they open the season on the road at former SoCon rival Furman November 14th. The Wildcats have won five of their last eight meetings with the Paladins.

The first Atlantic 10 conference game in Davidson history arrives January 4th when they host La Salle.