Women's Basketball Debuts at Prudential Center, Opens With Rider

GAMENOTES (.pdf) 

THE MATCHUP

Seton Hall opens the 2008-09 season with its first-ever appearance at Prudential Center as it hosts in-state foe Rider of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  The Pirates are coming off an injury-plagued campaign a year ago that saw them finish 13-15 overall and 3-13 in the BIG EAST.  Sophomore Ebonie Williams, a member of the 2007-08 BIG EAST All-Freshman, returns at guard after leading the team in scoring as a rookie with 11.6 ppg.  Senior forward Noteisha Womack will lead the way up front after pacing the conference in rebounding last season with 10.5 rpg.  Rider went 8-22 a year ago and returns four starters, led by junior guard Tammy Meyers, who averaged 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 2007-08.

SERIES HISTORY

First Meeting         1/19/84

Result                   SHU 80-69

Last Meeting         11/21/03

Result                   SHU 83-58

Series Record        SHU 5-0

Current Streak       SHU Won 5

SEASON OPENERS

Seton Hall is 26-9 all-time in season-opening games, including a 17-6 mark  under head coach Phyllis Mangina.  A year ago, the Pirates snapped a two-game skid in season debuts with a 61-60 win over Manhattan at Walsh Gymnasium.  SHU has won two straight home openers and is 17-6 in such games in the Mangina era.

PRUDENTIAL CENTER DEBUT

The Seton Hall women make their Prudential Center debut against Rider, a year after the men’s program moved to the new arena in Newark, N.J.  The women, who will maintain Walsh Gymnasium as their primary home venue, will play at “The Rock” again on Dec. 20 against North Carolina State. 

LONG TIME, NO SEE

Friday’s meeting marks the first time Seton Hall and Rider have squared off in 1,821 days.  On Nov. 21, 2003, the Pirates dismantled the Broncs in what was also a season-opener, 83-58.  SHU is 5-0 all-time against Rider, including a 4-0 record at home.

HANDLING THE MAAC

The Pirates have won four straight games against teams from the MAAC, going 2-0 in each of the last two seasons.  In addition to Rider, SHU will visit Saint Peter’s this year on Dec. 13.

ENCORE

Sophomore guard Ebonie Williams returns after a stellar rookie campaign that saw her become the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since the 1985-86 season.  Williams was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.

RETURN OF THE REBOUNDER

Senior Noteisha Womack is back in the Hall’s lineup after leading the BIG EAST in rebounding a year ago with 10.5 per game.  In addition, Womack posted 10.0 points per game, making her the first Pirate to average a double-double since Dana Wynne in 1996-97.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

With 502 career rebounds, senior Noteisha Womack is 34 boards short of entering the top 20 all-time at SHU.

TOURNEY TITANS

Seton Hall has won three consecutive in-season tournaments: the 2006 Christmas City Classic at Lehigh, the 2007 SHU Classic, and the 2007 San Diego State Surf N Slam.  The Pirates take aim at their fourth straight title on Nov. 21-22 in the 2008 SHU Classic, featuring Wagner, UMBC and Northern Illinois.

THE CAPTAINS

Senior Noteisha Womack and juniors Nicole Emery and Shantel Brown will serve as the 2008-09 team captains.

PIRATES TABBED 14TH

Seton Hall was picked to finish 14th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll.  Connecticut picked up 14 first-place votes to land in the top spot, while second-place Rutgers and third-place Louisville also earned a first-place vote.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.  Sophomore Maya Moore of Connecticut was named Preseason Player of the Year, while April Sykes of Rutgers earned Preseason Freshman of the Year honors.

WELCOME ABOARD

Three new faces join the Seton Hall roster this season:  Shanai Heber, a combo guard from Paterson, N.J., Kandice Green, a forward from Baltimore, Md., and Whitney Wood, a center from Santa Margarita, Calif.

THE DEPARTED

Amber Harris, Ela Mukosiej and Nikole Sullivan exhausted their eligibility after the 2007-08 season, while Gretchen Gaskin transferred to a junior college following her freshman year.

PIRATES REUNITE IN SPAIN

Heta Korpivaara and Monique Blake, 2007 graduates, and Ela Mukosiej of the class of 2008 are teammates once again on the professional level.  All three are signed with Cref Hola in Spain.

GREEN SIGNS NLI

Terry Green of Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, N.Y. has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the women’s basketball program in the 2009-10 season.  Green, a 6’0” forward, is ranked 18th at her position and 92nd overall in the ESPNU HoopGurlz 100.  She was a Ninth Team All-State selection in Class AA as a junior.  Green comes from the same high school as current Pirate Nicole Emery.

GATHER ROUND THE TV

The Pirates will have a pair of home games on the air as part of the BIG EAST’s television package.  On Feb. 1, SHU will face St. John’s on ESPNU in the BIG EAST Game of the Week, while the Feb. 7 contest with Villanova will be on SNY as the regional Game of the Week.

PIRATES ON THE RADIO

Seton Hall’s student radio station, 89.5 FM WSOU, will broadcast the majority of this season’s contests.  For a full schedule, visit SHUPirates.com.

2009 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP

In 2009, the BIG EAST will invite all 16 teams to its men’s and women’s championship tournaments.  The women's tournament will be held Mar. 6-10 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

Scoreboard

Seton Hall University Athletics

Women's Basketball Debuts at Prudential Center, Opens With Rider

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