Women's Basketball Travels To USF, Saturday Night

GAMENOTES (.pdf) 

THE MATCHUP

In the midst of playing four of five games away from home, Seton Hall heads south to take on the USF Bulls on Saturday night.  The Pirates have dropped six of their last seven BIG EAST games, including an 80-39 setback at #25 DePaul on Wednesday night.  USF has won three of its last six, with an 88-79 win over Syracuse in its most recent contest.  The Bulls are paced by senior guard Shantia Grace, who leads three players averaging double figures with 14.9 points.  Junior forward Porche Grant averages a team-high 8.2 rebounds coming off the bench.  USF is 11-4 at home on the season, but just 1-4 in BIG EAST games at the Sun Dome.  The last time the two teams met in Tampa, the Bulls overcame a strong Seton Hall effort for a 60-51 victory on Feb. 26, 2007.

SERIES HISTORY

First Meeting     12/06/91

Result               SHU 55-52

Last Meeting     01/19/08

Result               USF 75-67

Series Record    USF 4-1

Current Streak   USF W4

WINDY CITY WOES

Seton Hall was held to a season-low 39 points in its loss at #25 DePaul.  It marked the Pirates’ lowest total since Feb. 9, 2008, when they scored just 36 against Connecticut.  For the second time this season, the Hall failed to have a player post double-digit points.

VS. THE AP TOP 25

After falling at #25 DePaul, Seton Hall is 8-108 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, with six of the wins coming at home.  The Pirates have lost 10 straight to ranked teams, with the last win coming on Feb. 20, 2007 over #19 Marquette.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

Several Pirates have ascended near the top of Seton Hall’s career lists this season.  Noteisha Womack is in ninth place at Seton Hall with a total of 757 rebounds.  Shantel Brown is 13th on the assist list with 266, while Jadis Rhodin is 10th in steals with 174 and sixth all-time in 3-pointers with 94.  Ebonie Williams now qualifies as the best free throw shooter in school history at 82.9 percent and is tied for ninth with 77 made 3-pointers.

GREEN GETS THIRD FRESHMAN AWARD

Kandice Green was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Feb. 9, the third time this season she has collected the honor.  She is now one shy of Debbie Hartnett’s school-record of four set in the 1985-86 season.

WOMACK FIGHTS FOR THE TOP SPOT

Noteisha Womack is averaging 9.9 rebounds in BIG EAST play, good for second in the conference behind Angel McCoughtry of Louisville’s 10.4 per game.  Womack could be the first Pirate to lead the league in any major statistical category since Dana Wynne won three straight rebounding crowns from 1994-95 through 1996-97.

SEASON RECORDS IN SIGHT

With at least six games remaining, Noteisha Womack and Ebonie WIlliams are threatening the Pirates’ single-season record book.  Womack needs to grab just 41 more boards to top Dana Wynne’s senior season rebounding total of 295 from 1996-97, the most ever by a Pirate senior.  Williams needs to score 109 points to best the sophomore point total of 433 set by Geraldine Saintilus in 1986-87.

WOMACK BATTLING THE NATION

After leading the country for much of the season, senior Noteisha Womack is currently sixth in the nation in rebounding with 11.6 per game.    Judie Lomax of Columbia leads with an average of 13.8 boards.   Womack remains number one in the BIG EAST in all games.

WOMACK DOUBLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Senior Noteisha Womack is second in the BIG EAST with 12 double-doubles this year, trailing only the 13 of Connecticut’s Maya Moore.  Only four active BIG EAST players have more double-doubles in their career than Womack’s 22: Angel McCoughtry (52) of Louisville, Tina Charles (31) of Connecticut, and Moore and Kia Vaughn of Rutgers (24).

WOMACK ON NAISMITH WATCH LIST

Senior forward Noteisha Womack is one of 10 BIG EAST women’s basketball players to be named to the initial Naismith Trophy early season watch list.  The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year.  The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. The watch list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in February, 2009.   The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis, MO.

RHODIN IMPERSONATES RODMAN

Jadis Rhodin grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in the win at West Virginia, smashing her previous top total of nine.  The Pirates enjoyed a dominant 50-30 edge on the glass, with Nicole Emery, Kandice Green and Noteisha Womack getting nine each.

TURNOVER STORY

Seton Hall escaped West Virginia with a win despite turning the ball over 30 times.  It was the most giveaways by a Pirate squad since also committing 30 on Dec. 2, 2004 against N.C. State.

WILLIAMS GOES FOR 31

Ebonie Williams netted a career-high 31 points against St. John’s, giving her the sixth-best single-game performance in school history.  The sophomore guard was 11-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point land, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.  The school record is held by Geraldine Saintilus, who scored 36 points against St. John’s on Jan. 4, 1989.

FIVE TIMES FOUR

In the loss to St. John’s, five Pirates scored in double figures, marking the fourth time that has happened this season (including the Syracuse game in which six reached double digits).

DOUBLE THE FUN

Against St. John’s, Kandice Green posted her second straight double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.  The freshman forward now has four on the season.

THE OFFENSE IS CLICKING

Seton Hall’s offense has shown a marked improvement over last season.  The Pirates have scored 80-plus points five times this year after doing it just once in 2007-08.  The Hall has also topped 90 points three times after failing to do it at all last season.

NON-CONFERENCE CLOSER

The Pirates rolled past Penn in their last non-conference game of the year, claiming a 76-49 win at The Palestra.  Seton Hall went 12-1 outside of the BIG EAST, tying the 1994-95 and 1983-84 squads for the most non-league wins since joining the conference.

WOMACK CRACKS THE TOP 10

After grabbing seven boards at Penn, Noteisha Womack passed Geraldine Saintilus and Dawn Johnson to move into ninth place all-time at the Hall in rebounding.

GOING GREEN

The Pirates relied on the strong play of Kandice Green on the inside at Penn.  The freshman forward totaled 12 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.

TIME RUNS OUT VS. PROVIDENCE

A tough first half against Providence saw the Pirates hit only five field goals on 17.2 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.  The Hall was much better after the break, hitting 43.8 percent, but after falling behind by 16, SHU could never overtake the Friars.

PITT DIGS IN ON D

The Pirates were held to a season-low 40 points by #25 Pittsburgh, while also turning in their worst shooting performance of the year by hitting just 24.1 percent from the field.  Seton Hall did not have a player score in double figures against the Panthers.

BOMBED BY THE BEARCATS

Seton Hall gave up a season-high 12 3-pointers to Cincinnati in a 72-62 loss.  The Bearcats, who also had a dozen made 2-point field goals, hit 46.2 percent from beyond the arc.

FINE FROM THE LINE

The Pirates shot 94.7 percent from the line against Cincinnati, making 18 of 19 attempts.  It ranks as the fourth-best performance in school history in a game in which the Hall had at least 10 attempts.

A SWEET 16

With a 13-3 start, this year’s Seton Hall squad tied the third-best record in program history through 16 games.  The 1977-78 and 1993-94 teams both started 14-2, while the 1989-90 and 1994-95 were also 13-3.

SIX HIT DOUBLE FIGURES AT CUSE

Six Pirates scored in double figures in the Hall’s win over Syracuse, the first time that has happened for the program since Dec. 12, 1994 against Fairfield. 

BROWN DELIVERS ONCE AGAIN

Shantel Brown continued her stellar play of late at Syracuse, totaling 11 points, five rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a career-high 39 minutes.

WOOD IS STURDY OFF THE PINE

Freshman Whitney Wood put together her best game as a Pirate at Syracuse, scoring a career-high 10 points in 17 minutes. 

A SKID SNAPPED AT SYRACUSE

Seton Hall snapped a five-game losing streak in BIG EAST road contests with its win at Syracuse.  The Pirates’ last win away from home had been at Providence on Jan. 26, 2008.

ANOTHER HONOR FOR NOTEISHA

Noteisha Womack was selected to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 12, the third time this season she has been so honored.  She is now tied with Ela Mukosiej for the single-season program record for appearances on the Weekly Honor Roll.

HANDLING ADVERSITY

Seton Hall overcame several obstacles on its way to victory against Marquette.  Ebonie Williams, the team’s leading scorer entering the game, played just five minutes before exiting the game for good after being poked in the eye.  The Pirates were also shorthanded in the frontcourt, as Kashmere Joseph did not play after suffering an injury at Louisville.

RHODIN RIPS THE NETS

Jadis Rhodin made the most of her move to the starting lineup against Marquette.  The senior guard scored a season-high 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-7 from 3-point land.  She also tied her career-high with three blocks.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?

For Seton Hall, Shantel Brown poured in a season-best 12 points to go along with two rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes against Marquette.  She was 2-for-4 from 3-point land, the first time she connected from deep this season.

IT HAD TO HAPPEN SOMETIME

Against Marquette, Seton Hall was outrebounded by its opponent for the first time this season.  The Golden Eagles held a 37-34 edge on the glass.

THIRD TIME A CHARM

The Pirates picked up their first BIG EAST victory of the season in their third try, defeating Marquette, 65-55.  Seton Hall had started 0-3 in conference play just five times in its history, with the last time coming in the 2001-02 season.  The Pirates also snapped a 12-game losing streak in BIG EAST play dating back to last season.

BEST START SINCE 1994-95

At 11-1, the Pirates matched their best start since the 1994-95 team also won 11 of its first 12.  That year, Seton Hall finished 24-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  The top record through 13 games remains with the 1977-78 squad that got out of the gate at 12-1.

WILLIAMS WORKS THE GLASS

Ebonie WIlliams made her presence felt on the glass at Louisville, collecting a career-high 10 rebounds.

STREAK SNAPPED AT SEVEN

Seton Hall had its seven-game winning streak, which tied for the ninth longest in program history, snapped in a loss to Notre Dame.

BIG EAST OPENERS

Seton Hall had won three consecutive BIG EAST openers before falling to Notre Dame this season.  The Pirates are now 10-14 all-time under Phyllis Mangina in such games.

BLOWOUT VICTORIES

For the first time since the 1993-94 season, Seton Hall has four wins by 30-plus points on its resume.  The consecutive wins over Caldwell (by 49) and Wagner (by 31) mark just the sixth time in school history the Hall has posted back-to-back wins of 30 or more points.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD

Seton Hall’s 95 points against Norfolk State were the most it has scored since a 95-59 win over Monmouth on Nov. 27, 1993.  The 52-point margin of victory was the largest since the Pirates defeated Northeastern by 59 points, 92-33, on Dec. 2, 1995.

OT THRILLER

The Pirates were victorious in their first overtime game of the season, a 74-67 win at Saint Joseph’s.  The Hall was 1-1 a year ago in extra time, losing at Utah Valley before defeating Quinnipiac in San Diego.

IRONWOMEN

Three Pirates cracked the 40-minute barrier at Saint Joseph’s: sophomore Ebonie Williams played 42 minutes, while senior Noteisha Womack and junior Nicole Emery logged 41 minutes.

THE  BEAT GOES ON FOR WOMACK

Senior Noteisha Womack tied her career-high with 21 rebounds at Saint Joseph’s.

FEELS LIKE HOME

In its first season playing select home games at Prudential Center, the Pirates went a perfect 2-0 with wins over Rider and North Carolina State.

GREEN PICKS UP SECOND FRESHMAN AWARD

Kandice Green picked up her second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Award on Dec. 15, making her the first Pirate to win twice since Heta Korpivaara in 2003-04.

FIRST HALF FIREWORKS

Seton Hall scored the first 11 points of the game on its way to a 43-13 halftime lead against Colorado.  It was the Pirates’ largest advantage at the break since Dec. 2, 1995, when the Hall led Northeastern 45-7 after 20 minutes.

TOURNEY TITANS

Seton Hall has now won four consecutive in-season tournaments: the 2006 Christmas City Classic at Lehigh, the 2007 SHU Classic, and the 2007 San Diego State Surf N Slam and the 2008 SHU Classic.

GREEN NAMED BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Forward Kandice Green earned the first BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Award of the 2008-09 season.  Her averages of 14.8 points and 11.0 rebounds along with two double-doubles through the Hall’s first four games were more than enough to claim the honor for Green.  The Pirates have now had a winner for four straight seasons: Shantel Brown in 05-’06, Ashley Booker in 06-’07, and Ebonie Williams in 07-’08.

MVP EBONIE

Sophomore Ebonie Williams earned Most Valuable Player honors at the 2008 SHU Classic while leading the Pirates to two wins.  Against Wagner, she posted a career-high 25 points which she followed with 19 points, three assists and five steals against UMBC.

WOMACK IS BACK

After missing the first two games of the season due to injury, senior Noteisha Womack returned in fine fashion for the SHU Classic.  Womack notched 11 points and seven rebounds against Wagner before posting her 11th career double-double with 20 points and 17 boards against UMBC.  Her play earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

GREEN DOUBLES UP AGAIN

Freshman Kandice Green recorded her second double-double in a row to start her career with 19 points and 12 rebounds against Caldwell.

REJECTED BY SETON HALL

The Pirates blocked 11 shots against Caldwell, the sixth best performance in school history.  Junior Nicole Emery tied a career-high with five, while classmate Ashley Booker set a new personal-best with three.

TOUGH D

The Pirates held Rider to 23.7 percent shooting in the season-opener, the best team defensive effort since Notre Dame hit only 22.0 percent from the floor on Mar. 1, 2005.  A game later, SHU was even tougher, allowing Caldwell to hit only 22.8 percent.

A MEMORABLE DEBUT

Freshman forward Kandice Green came on the scene with a standout performance in her collegiate debut against Rider, scoring 11 points and grabbing an impressive 15 rebounds.  Green needed only 23 minutes of playing time to achieve the double-double.

SEASON OPENERS

Seton Hall is 27-9 all-time in season-opening games, including an 18-6 mark  under head coach Phyllis Mangina, after knocking off Rider to start the 2008-09 campaign.  The Pirates have won three straight home openers and are 18-6 in such games in the Mangina era.

PRUDENTIAL CENTER DEBUT

The Seton Hall women made their Prudential Center debut with a 64-48 win 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. 

CURRY AND MESSINA OUT FOR YEAR

Senior Letitia Curry will miss the 2008-09 season after suffering a knee injury, while senior guard Brittney Messina is out with a back injury.

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.

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.

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.

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