OPENING TIP: The Snow College women's basketball team will kick off their 2024-25 regular season at the Snow College Classic where they will take on a pair of opponents beginning with the Utah All Stars Friday at 12:45 p.m. followed by a matchup with No. 10 Casper College Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
The Badgers will host four total games during the two-day tournament.  Utah State University Eastern will be the fourth team in the Snow College Classic and will also play a pair of games in the round-robin style tournament.
 
The Badgers are coming off a 2023-24 campaign that saw them go 12-15 overall and 1-9 within Scenic West Athletic conference play.  They were on the outside looking in as they finished one spot shy of qualifying for the Region 18 Tournament. Snow College finished in a tie for fifth place within the conference standings.
 
Snow College finished below .500 for the second season in a row despite starting the year winning 10 of their first 13 games.  The Badgers concluded the season on a seven-game losing streak to miss out on postseason play.
 
The Badgers won just three home games during the 2023-24 regular season which is the fewest amount of wins they have recorded since winning just two home games in the 2012-13 season.
 
ROSTER, ROSTER, WHO'S ON THE ROSTER?  The 2024-25 Badgers consist of 15 players, including 10 sophomores and five incoming freshmen.  Eight of the Badgers' sophomores are returning from last year's team (Brooke Penington, Maliyah Elliott, Madison Hosino, Dalana Jakovljevic, Seini Tuipulotu, Kiriana Hawaikirangi, Lili Suguturaga, Iyana Beh).  The sophomore class is joined by two transfers (Alisi Peaua, Hadley Richins). 
 
Joining the large sophomore class are five incoming freshmen, including Sydnee Smith, Katie King, Neave Hancock-Wolfe, Markynn Pluid, and Amber Cook. 
 
Of the returning sophomores, seven of the eight played in at least 16 game for the Badgers during the 2023-24 season.  Pennington played in 27 games, including 23 starts, and averaged 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
 
Hawaikirangi, who had her freshmen season cut short due to injury, played in 16 games, 13 starts, and averaged 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.  Hosino leads all returners in scoring as she contributed 10.3 points per game as a freshman.  Elliott, Beh, Jakovljevic, and Suguturaga each contributed to start in 14 games while averaging a combined 18.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.
 
Peaua and Richins will also join the fray this year as transfers from the College of Southern Idaho.  Peaua appeared in 23 games for the Golden Eagles in 2021-22 where she averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
 
Richins played alongside Peaua in 2021-22 where she appeared in 31 games for CSI and averaged 2.1 points and 1.6 assists per game.  She shot 36 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc during her lone season with the Golden Eagles.
 
A PEAK AT THE SCHEDULE:  The Badgers will play a full 30-game schedule during the 2024-25 campaign.  13 of the 30 games will take place on their home floor inside the Horne Activity Center with the other 17 being played on the road.
 
Following the Snow College Classic, the Badgers will have their longest road stretch of the season starting Nov. 7 at the Western Wyoming Classic in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and spanning until Nov. 23 as they conclude the New Mexico Junior College Tournament.
 
The Badgers will end the calendar year by playing four of their final five non-conference games at home between Nov. 29 and Dec. 9.  Snow College will then kick off conference play with a trio of road games beginning Jan. 2 against Salt Lake Community College.
 
Seven of the Badgers' final 11 games will be in Ephraim beginning with a matchup against North Idaho College Jan. 16. They will then close the regular season with a 3-game home stand starting Feb. 27 against CSI and concluding March 6 against SLCC.  The Region 18 tournament, should the Badgers qualify, will begin March 13.
 
Snow College will play a total of nine games against team ranked in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Preseason Poll.  The Badgers will take on No. 10 Casper College this weekend as well as a road matchup Dec. 3.  Their other non-conference matchup against a ranked team comes against No. 7 New Mexico Junior College Nov. 21. 
 
CSI and SLCC were also ranked in the preseason poll with the Golden Eagles landing at 11 and the Bruins claiming the final spot in the top 25.  The Badgers will play CSI and SLCC a total of six times during the conference schedule.
 
HISTORY WITH CASPER: The Badgers are just 2-12 historically and have lost four straight matches against the Thunderbirds.  Snow College and Casper have played each other twice per season each of the last two seasons and the Thunderbirds have won each of those four meetings.
 
The last time the Badgers defeated Casper was a 69-68 victory in Capser Nov. 19, 2021.  As a team, the Badgers average 57.3 points per game against the Thunderbirds and have never beat Casper in Ephraim.
 
UP NEXT: The Badgers will travel to Rock Springs, Wyoming and participate in the Western Wyoming Classic Nov. 7 and 8.  They will take on Western Wyoming Community College Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. before wrapping up the two-day tournament against Northeastern Junior College Nov. 8 at 5:00 p.m. Both games are to be played inside Rushmore Gymnasium.  For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.