HICKORY, N.C. - Second year head coach Emry Tsitouris and her staff of Clenzo Ross and Makenzie Buchanan have officially released their 2026-27 schedule. 

The Bears went on a historic run last season, going 26-6, winning the SAC Regular Season Championship, and advancing to the NCAA Regional Championship for the first time in program history. Three Bears were named to the All-SAC Team, with Abigail Brown being named SAC Freshman of the Year and Aaliyah El earning WBCA All-America honors. For her efforts, coach Tsitouris was named the SAC Coach of the Year. 

"Last season was a historic one for Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball, and we are incredibly proud of what this group accomplished," said coach Tsitouris. "Winning the SAC Regular Season Championship and advancing to the NCAA Regional Championship for the first time in program history were special moments, but we know that each season presents a new challenge. This schedule will challenge us in a lot of different ways, and we believe those experiences will help prepare us for the postseason."

Last year's Bears squad set season records for points, three point field goals, and blocked shots. They also set program records for points in a half (69) and three point field goals in a game (19). A fast paced team, the Bears ranked second in the nation last season in scoring offense (84.4 ppg) and 13th in scoring margin (14.6). 

This year's schedule features seven teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the past two years, including four from last season alone. The Bears open the year at home against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday, November 10. Following that game the Bears hit the road to Aiken, S.C., to take part in the PBC/SAC Challenge against USC Aiken and Lander. The early season non-conference slate concludes with home matches against USC Beaufort and North Georgia. 

South Atlantic Conference play opens up at home with a battle against Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, November 28. This is followed by the Bears' first road SAC game of the year at Mars Hill on Wednesday, December 2. The Bears host Wingate at noon on Wednesday, December 16, before taking a plane to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to take part in the Puerto Rico Clasico on December 18-19. There they will take on the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, who NCAA Division II institutions based out of Puerto Rico. 

Lenoir-Rhyne returns and will take on back-to-back NCAA Tournament qualifier Francis Marion at home on Saturday, January 2. Conference and regular season play concludes with back-to-back home games against Anderson and Carson-Newman on Wednesday, February 24 and Saturday, February 27. The SAC Tournament is set to take place at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on March 3-6. 

"We are fortunate to return a majority of our roster, which gives us some continuity, but we know we cannot rely on what we did last year. We have to continue to work, improve, and compete every day. We are especially excited about the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico and create those experiences together as a team."

Only two new Bears were added to the team this year. With 16 players on the roster, Tsitouris believes the depth of the Bears will create healthy competition throughout preseason. To view info about this year's roster click HERE.