HIGH POINT, N.C. -- High Point University women's basketball head coach Chelsea Banbury unveiled her team's non-conference schedule for the 2021-22 season Thursday afternoon (Sept. 9).
 
The 11-game slate features a tournament at the West Palm Beach Invitational in December that features the first matchup between Banbury and her alma mater, FGCU. Five of the 11 games will be played in the brand new, state-of-the-art Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center, headlined by a matchup with Power-5 opponent Wake Forest on the day before Thanksgiving.
 
"I'm really excited about our non-conference schedule," Banbury had to say. "It will be a good test for us and prepare us to compete at a high level for conference play."
 
The season opens with a home game against Elon on Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. in the first regular-season game to be played at the $170 million Qubein Center, part of a doubleheader with the men's team that night to open the new facility. HPU then hosts East Carolina at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 and first-time opponent Mid-Atlantic Christian two days later on Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. before the first road contest of the season.
 
High Point travels to Davidson on Nov. 20 before returning to its new home for the Wake Forest game on Nov. 24. It will be the first Power-5 opponent HPU will host in the Qubein Center for either men's or women's basketball and will be the first Power-5 opponent that the women's basketball team has played on campus since the Demon Deacons made the trek across the Triad 20 years ago in 2001.
 
The Panthers then travel to Wofford (Dec. 1) and former Big South foe Liberty (Dec. 4) before returning home for the final non-conference game at the Qubein Center on Dec. 9 against King University. HPU finishes its non-conference schedule with a trip to the Sunshine State for a game against USF on Dec. 17 and then the West Palm Beach Invitational on Dec. 20-21. The Purple and White will face two opponents for the first time at the tournament, playing Dayton on Dec. 20 and FGCU the following day. Not only will it be High Point's first time playing the Eagles, it will also be Banbury and her staff's first time facing their former program.