Women's Basketball Hosts SHU Classic This Weekend
11/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GAMENOTES
THE MATCHUP
The Pirates will take on George Mason in the first game of the Anaconda Sports and The Rock Present the Seton Hall Basketball Classic. San Diego and Toledo meet in the second game. SHU is coming off a 73-37 blowout win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday.
Junior guard Jadis Rhodin is off to an incredible start thus far, averaging 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. She is 8-of-10 from 3-point range while shooting 69.2% overall. Senior guard Ela Mukosiej is second on the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg, while senior forward Amber Harris is also in double-figures at 11.0 ppg. Junior forward Noteisha Womack leads the team in rebounding with 9.5 per game.
George Mason is 0-1 after falling to No. 9 Georgia, 84-56. Senior guard Lateisha Wade led the Patriots with 12 points off the bench.
Seton Hall has now won eight straight home games dating back to last season. The Pirates last loss at Walsh Gymnasium came on Jan. 13, 2007 against Rutgers.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
SHU is 13-2 all-time against George Mason. The teams last met on Mar. 18, 2004 in the WNIT First Round, a 61-56 overtime win for the Pirates.
First Meeting 12/4/97
Result GMU 80-67
Last Meeting 3/18/04
Result SHU 61-56 OT
A LOOK AT THE PATRIOTS
Head Coach: Debbie Tanneyhill
Record: 0-1
George Mason, 0-1 in 2007-08, returns four starters off last year’s team that went 8-21 overall and 2-16 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Leading the returning starters is senior guard Lateisha Wade, who scored 12 points in the season-opener after averaging 13.1 ppg a year ago. Senior forward Moni Akintunde posted 9.3 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 2006-07.
Head coach Debbie Tanneyhill is in her 10th season at the helm for George Mason. She has a career record of 135-144.
SHU CLASSIC
Seton Hall is 3-3 over the past three years in the Seton Hall Classic. A year ago, the Pirates lost to Massachusetts in the championship game. SHU has not claimed the title since the 2003-04 season.
DECISIVE VICTORY
Seton Hall’s 36-point win over Fairleigh Dickinson was the largest margin of victory in a Pirate win since a 42-point win (88-46) over Sacramento State on Nov. 25, 2001.
RHODIN ROLLS ON
Junior guard Jadis Rhodin matched her career-high set in the season-opener by again connecting on four 3-pointers against Fairleigh Dickinson. Rhodin is 8-of-10 from deep in 2007-08 after going 15-for-49 last season.
WOMACK DOUBLES UP
Junior forward Noteisha Womack registered a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double against Fairleigh Dickinson.
WILLIAMS A THIEF
Freshman guard Ebonie Williams is currently tied for first in the BIG EAST with an average of four steals per game. Williams had five of SHU’s 17 thefts against Fairleigh Dickinson.
SHU D
Seton Hall’s defense is proving once again to be one of the nation’s toughest. The Pirates forced 28 turnovers against Fairleigh Dickinson while limiting the Knights to 13 made field goals and 27.1% shooting.
WHAT A START!
Sophomore guard Shantel Brown provided an electric start to the 2007-08 season for Seton Hall, burying a desperation three-pointer from 30-feet out to knock off Manhattan, 61-60. It was the first game in almost a year for Brown, who missed all but five games last year due to injury.
HUGE DAY FOR HARRIS
Senior forward Amber Harris was dominant inside against Manhattan, scoring a career-high 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the second double-double of her career.
PIRATES FIRE FROM DOWNTOWN
Seton Hall was 7-of-11 from three-point territory against Manhattan, surpassing its highest single-game total of made attempts from all of last season. The Pirates had not connected on seven three-pointers since Jan. 6, 2006 at Notre Dame.
RHODIN ON TARGET
Junior guard Jadis Rhodin hit a career-high four three-poiners in five attempts against Manhattan.
SHU vs. NEC
The Hall faces its first NEC opponent in FDU since defeating St. Francis (N.Y.) on Nov. 20, 2005, 68-50. The Pirates could face Quinnipiac in the San Diego Surf N Slam in December.
SEASON OPENERS
Seton Hall had lost two straight season-opening games before defeating Manhattan. SHU is now 17-6 in season debuts under head coach Phyllis Mangina.
MAAC FOES
The Pirates went 2-0 last season against opponents from the MAAC, defeating Iona and Saint Peter’s. SHU again finds a pair of MAAC schools on the schedule - the Manhattan game and a rematch with the Iona Gaels.
MESSINA OUT INDEFINITELY
Junior guard Brittney Messina is out indefinitely due to a back injury.
CAPTAINS OF THE SHIP
Seton Hall announced its captains for the 2007-08 season - senior forward Amber Harris, senior guard Ela Mukosiej and senior center Nikole Sullivan.
A NEW FACE ON THE BENCH
Brian Stanchak joins the Seton Hall women’s basketball coaching staff for the 2007-08 season after two seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson.
THE NEW KIDS
Three freshmen and a junior transfer join the Seton Hall roster for the 2007-08 season. Guard Ebonie Williams of Hagerstown, Md. was the 47th-ranked prospect by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. Gretchen Gaskin of Oralnd Park, Ill. and Kashmere Joseph of London, England complete the freshman class. Eligible at midseason will be junior Letitia Curry, who transferred from American University midway through last season.
SETON HALL TABBED 10th
The Seton Hall women’s basketball team was picked 10th in the Preseason BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or players. Connecticut topped the poll with 225 points while earning 15 of 16 first-place votes. The top 12 teams in the conference standings qualify for the conference championship in Hartford, Conn., March 8-11.
MUST SEE TV
Seton Hall will play a minimum of four televised games in the 2007-08 campaign. On Dec. 6, the Pirates will face Northwestern on the Big Ten Network live from Evanston, Ill. Seton Hall and St. John’s square off in a nationally-televised game from Walsh Gymnasium on Jan. 29. On Feb. 9, CPTV will carry Connecticut’s visit to SHU, while SNY will televise the Pirates’ trip to Marquette on Feb. 16.
IMPROVEMENT IN 2006-07
Seton Hall tied for the fourth-best improvement in the nation in 2006-07 according to NCAA statistics. The Pirates had an overall improvement of 11.0 games; Oklahoma State topped the list with a 12.5 game improvement.
A CHANGE IN 2009
Beginning next season, all 16 teams on both the men’s and women’s side will qualify for the BIG EAST Championship Tournament.
