Romeoville, Ill. – Lewis University head women's basketball coach Dodie Dunson Jr. announced today that theFlyers will open their 2025-26 season with an exhibition against Northwestern on Nov. 1.
This will mark the first instance since the 2023-24 season and third time in the last six years that the Flyers and Wildcats will face one another on the court. Northwestern is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw the Wildcats go 9-18 and 2-16 in Big Ten play. Joe McKeown enters his 18th season as head coach for Northwestern ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Lewis returns 11 players from last years GLVC Championship team and welcome in six newcomers. Dunson enters his first year as the head of the red and white after serving as the associate head coach at Division I Evansville from 2023-25. Lewis also returns a pair of All-GLVC selections from last year including
Ally Cesarini (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) and
Yahaira Bueno (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) as well.
An All-GLVC Second Team honoree last year, Cesarini posted the second most total points on the season with 277, Cesarini also holds the title of the school's first ever Raising Canes Play of the Game for her game winner over Upper Iowa. Cesarini added 159 rebounds, 61 assists, 42 steals and 12 blocks.
In her inaugural season, Bueno notched valuable minutes for the Flyers this season having the sixth most minutes on the team. 152 points, 46 rebounds, 48 assists, 13 steals and four blocks to wrap up her first ever regular season with the Flyers to land All-GLVC Freshman Team accolades.
A formal announcement of the Flyers non-conference schedule along with women's basketball ticket sales will come at a later date.
For the latest news and updates on Lewis women's basketball, visit LewisFlyers.com and follow the Flyers on social media at @lewiswbball on Instagram and @LewisWBBall on X.
