LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball has announced its 2023-24 women's basketball schedule in conjunction with the Northeast Conference on Thursday. The schedule consists of 16 conference and 13 non-conference games.
 
The 2023-24 schedule also includes 13 home and 16 away games, most notably at Rutgers, Pitt, Penn State and Syracuse.
 
Saint Francis open the 2023-24 season at home against Robert Morris on Nov. 6. This will mark the second year in a row the Red Flash and Colonials meet to open the season. Once Northeast Conference foes, Robert Morris holds a 49-42 advantage since the first game in 1976.
 
The Red Flash continue their schedule with a game at Canisius on Nov. 11 and home against Coppin State on Nov. 13. Canisius holds a 5-3 all-time advantage over Saint Francis, while Coppin State and Saint Francis are even at 2-2.
 
A trip to Rutgers on Nov. 18 marks the first of four Power Five opponents on the schedule. The Scarlet Knights are off a 12-20 overall season in 2022-23, which marks their second below-.500 season in a row. Rutgers holds a 2-0 advantage over Saint Francis all-time.
 
Saint Francis travels to Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 22 and hosts Lafayette on Nov. 26 for the first meeting against each opponent in program history. Two days later, Saint Francis travels to Pitt on Nov. 28. The Panthers hold a 10-3 record over Saint Francis, which includes a 7-1 record at home.
 
After a heartbreaking one-point loss to Morgan State last season, Saint Francis will host the Bears for a rematch on Dec. 2. Saint Francis has a week break between games before hosting Youngstown State on Dec. 9. The Red Flash and the Penguins own an even 4-4 record all-time.
 
The Red Flash travel to NJIT for the first time in program history on Dec. 15, followed by a trip to Penn State on Dec. 17. The Nittany Lions are on a streak of five straight seasons below-.500 but own a 7-1 record over the Red Flash.
 
The streak of road games continues at Syracuse on Dec. 21. The Orange appeared in the 2022-23 WNIT and won two games in the tournament. Syracuse took both games against Saint Francis played from 2010-12. The non-conference schedule concludes with Saint Francis' first trip to UMBC on Dec. 29.
 
Conference play opens for Saint Francis with back-to-back home games on Jan. 6 against Wagner and Jan. 8 against reigning NEC Champion Sacred heart. Saint Francis dropped both games against Wagner and Sacred Heart last season.
 
The Red Flash have their first road trip of conference play at Central Connecticut on Jan. 13 and Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 15. Saint Francis has won seven of the last nine meetings with Central Connecticut, while Fairleigh Dickinson won both meetings last season.
 
A trip to LIU follows on Jan. 19 before the Red Flash gear up to face new NEC member LeMoyne for the first time in program history on Jan. 21. Saint Francis has won seven of the 10 meetings all-time against LIU.
 
Away games at Stonehill on Jan. 25 and Merrimack on Jan. 27 round out the first half of Saint Francis' conference schedule. Saint Francis defeated Stonehill in both games of its inaugural Division I campaign last season. Merrimack, as a No. 3 seed in the NEC Tournament last season, narrowly defeated Saint Francis, a No. 6 seed, 66-60 in the quarterfinals.
 
The second half of scheduled conference games begins with Central Connecticut (Feb. 1) and LIU (Feb. 3) both at home. Saint Francis has its built-in bye (Feb. 9), before a trip to Wagner (Feb. 15) and home game against Fairleigh Dickinson (Feb. 17).
 
Saint Francis hosts Merrimack (Feb. 22) and Stonehill (Feb. 24) before another built-in bye (Feb. 29). Its first-ever trip to LeMoyne ensues (March 2) before the 2023-24 regular season concludes at Sacred Heart (March 7). The NEC Tournament is scheduled for March 11, 14 and 17.
 
Saint Francis heads into the 2023-24 season with a roster that features three juniors, five sophomores and six freshmen.