LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team boasts a formidable 2022-23 schedule, and that is underscored right from the jump as the Knights will open the season Monday at No. 16 LSU.

Tip-off between the Knights and Tigers is set for 8 p.m. (ET) at the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

LSU is the first of three nonconference opponents for Bellarmine that earned a berth last season in the NCAA Tournament. The other two are Kentucky (Nov. 17 on the road) and Louisville (Dec. 14 in Freedom Hall). The Tigers represent the Knights' fourth nationally ranked opponent from the AP poll in the D1 era following Louisville (Nos. 2 and 10) the last two seasons and Ohio State (No. 21) last year.

LSU defied expectations in Coach Kim Mulkey's first season with the program. After being picked eighth in the 2021-22 SEC preseason poll, the Tigers finished second only to eventual national champion South Carolina while going 26-6 overall and 13-3 in league play. It was the first time since 2008 that LSU finished in the top two in the conference, and the Tigers followed by advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

LSU did an about-face under Mulkey, who led the greatest turnaround by a first-year head coach in SEC history and was recognized with the AP National Coach of the Year award. The Tigers had gone 9-13 overall and 6-8 in conference play the season prior to her arrival.

The SEC coaches picked LSU to finish third in this year's preseason poll. While the Tigers will carry nine newcomers, Alexis Morris is back after earning second-team All-SEC honors last season after averaging 15.0 points per game. Morris and Angel Reese, a transfer from Maryland who averaged a double-double (17.8 points, 10.6 rebounds) last year, were named first-team preseason All-SEC by the coaches. Morris was selected to the Nancy Lieberman Award Top-20 Watchlist, while Reese was on the watchlist for the Katrina McClain Award.

Under 11th-year Coach Chancellor Dugan, Bellarmine is set to begin its third season in Division I and the ASUN Conference. The Knights warmed up for the regular season with a 116-53 victory over Brescia in an Oct. 29 exhibition in Freedom Hall. Six players scored in double figures as the Knights bolted out to a 37-5 lead after one quarter and 61-20 advantage at halftime.

Strong contributions came from just about everyone who stepped on the court. Sophomore guard Hayley Harrison got her Bellarmine career off to a promising start after scoring a game-high 18 points. Sophomore forward Haley Stoklosa buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first quarter and racked up 17 points off the bench.

Senior guard and leading returning scorer Jaela Johnson opened the exhibition by swishing a 3-pointer and rang up 14 points. Junior guard Mackenzie Keelin and senior forwards Sheniqua Coatney and Cam Browning, the latter who's also new to the Knights, chipped in 11 points apiece. Freshman center Gracie Merkle pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, and freshman guard Jayla Butler distributed a game-best six assists.

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