Western Kentucky Lady Toppers guard Whitney Creech (5) shoots during WKU's 72-57 win over UAB to win the Conference USA Championship on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at The Ford Center at The Star. (Austin Anthony / photo@bgdailynews.com)

After previously announcing its 2018-19 C-USA slate this summer, Western Kentucky women’s basketball announced Tuesday its full nonconference schedule under first-year coach Greg Collins. It features eight dates inside E.A. Diddle Arena and marquee matches against Power Five opponents Louisville, Oklahoma, Iowa, Oregon State and Notre Dame.

WKU’s full nonconference schedule includes guaranteed matchups against seven teams that reached the 2018 NCAA Tournament, including each of the Lady Toppers’ first four games. Of those seven teams, four reached at least the Sweet Sixteen, Louisville reached the Final Four and Notre Dame was crowned the national champion.

“This is probably the most challenging schedule that we’ve played in a long time,” Collins said in a news release.”At least seven of our nonconference opponents were in the NCAA Tournament last year, including the national champions (Notre Dame), a Final Four team (Louisville), an Elite Eight team (Oregon State) and a Sweet Sixteen team (Central Michigan).

“We’re thrilled to have such high-caliber programs like Louisville and Iowa coming to Diddle Arena. Both of those teams will be big challenges for us. Our players and our fans should be excited about the opportunity to play teams like that on our home floor.”

The Lady Toppers will open the 2018-19 season with an exhibition matchup against West Virginia State on Nov. 1 inside Diddle Arena before the previously announced regular season opener against longtime rival Louisville on Nov. 6.

WKU will meet Louisville, a 2018 Final Four participant, for the 46th time in school history, with the Lady Toppers holding a 25-20 edge in the all-time series. In the most recent meeting in Bowling Green, then-freshman Kayla Smith sank the game-winning basket with 30 seconds remaining as WKU upset the Cardinals 71-69 on Nov. 21, 2015.

Three days after the bout with Louisville, WKU will make the trek west to take on Oklahoma for the first time since the 1985-86 campaign. The Sooners have reached 19 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and made an appearance in the national championship game in 2001-02.

WKU’s whirlwind start to the season continues Nov. 13 as the Lady Toppers welcome Iowa to Diddle Arena for a rematch of last season’s 104-97 overtime thriller in the 2017 Hawkeye Classic. With the Hawkeyes visiting, WKU will be hosting two Power Five opponents for the first time since 2010-11.

Iowa finished 2017-18 with a 24-7 record and reached the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Following the short homestand, WKU will head north to square off against 2017-18 Sweet Sixteen participant Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Nov. 17. The Lady Toppers and Chippewas have never met on the hardwood, but Central Michigan enjoyed arguably the best season in school history last year, ending with a 30-5 overall record.

Nov. 20, the Lady Toppers will bring Southern Illinois to Diddle Arena as part of a home-and-home series against the Salukis.

For its in-season tournament, WKU will leave the United States for the first time since 2013-14 to participate in the 2018 Vancouver Showcase presented by bd Global in Vancouver. In a loaded field, the Lady Toppers will get a rematch of their first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Oregon State on Nov. 22 and will face either ETSU or South Carolina the following day.

On the final day of the tournament, WKU will be matched up against either Drake, Gonzaga, Notre Dame or Rutgers depending on the results of the first two days.

“Vancouver will be a good test to see where we stand after the first three weeks of the season,” Collins said. “They did a great job of putting together an amazing field of teams for the event, and it will give our team a chance to go up against some of the best in the country as they continue to grow early in the season. Our non-conference schedule is all about getting us ready for the ball to drop when conference play starts in January.”

Over the final month of its non-conference slate, WKU is set to face Morgan State (Nov. 28), Bellarmine (Dec. 8), Ball State (Dec. 16) and Union (Tenn.) (Dec. 29) inside Diddle Arena and will head on the road for two tilts away from home. The first, on Dec. 1, will be a battle against former Sun Belt Conference rival Arkansas-Little Rock.

Finally, WKU will wrap up the road portion of its nonconference schedule with a visit to reigning national champion Notre Dame on Dec. 19. This matchup will mark the first time that the Lady Toppers have squared off against the current national title holder since 1997-98, when WKU met Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 1998.

Last season, WKU went toe-to-toe with the Fighting Irish for much of the game inside Diddle Arena, staying within one possession until the third quarter before eventually falling, 78-65.

As previously announced, WKU will kick off its slate of 16 C-USA matchups on Jan. 3, as the Lady Toppers host Charlotte inside Diddle Arena.

Lady Toppers announce roster additions

WKU will bring in transfers Sandra Skinner, formerly at VCU, and Jae’Lisa Allen, from Virginia, to join the program. Skinner will sit out the 2018-19 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, while Allen will be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer for the Lady Toppers.

Myriah Noodel-Haywood, a freshman from Edwardsville, Ill., will round out the 2018-19 roster after joining the Lady Toppers as a late signee. She will join fellow freshmen Meral Abdelgawad and Kallie Searcy to bring the total number of newcomers on the roster to five.