The 2004 UNI women’s basketball schedule has been released. The Panthers will play ten games and two exhibitions before opening up the Missouri Valley Conference season at home January 1st. Northern Iowa head coach Tony DiCecco is pleased with the way the Panther’s schedule is set up. He says there’s great balance in the caliber of teams and the number of home games in the nonconference season.UNI will play a difficult non-conference schedule, which includes contests against Iowa, Iowa State and several strong teams at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. DiCecco likes playing a strong non-conference schedule. He says when you look back at the years when they’ve done things to be strong in the conference it shows they have to play the most competative schedule possible.The Panthers will open their regular season at the West Gym on November 20th when they host the University of Illinois at Chicago.