Women's Basketball Heads To Connecticut, Tuesday
2/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SETON HALL (8-18, 1-12) at #2/2 CONNECTICUT (26-1, 13-0)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
XL Center - Hartford, Conn.
7:00 p.m. ET
A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES
Head Coach Geno Auriemma
Record at UCONN (Years) 761-123 (26)
Career Record (Years) 761-123 (26)
Conference BIG EAST
Current Streak W14
Last Five 5-0
Leading Scorer Maya Moore, 23.7 ppg
Leading Rebounder Maya Moore, 7.9 rpg
Last Season 39-0, 16-0
Following top-ranked Baylor's loss this past weekend, Connecticut will likely have returned to #1 in the polls for its match-up with Seton Hall. The Huskies have continued their usual dominance of women's basketball, with a loss to Stanford the only blemish on their record. All-American senior guard Maya Moore leads Connecticut in both scoring and rebounding as the team looks for its third straight NCAA title.
THE CONNECTICUT SERIES
Connecticut's national dominance in the Geno Auriemma era has extended into its series with Seton Hall. The Huskies have won 26 straight against the Pirates, 41 of the last 42, and the last 20 on their home floors. Auriemma, now in his 26th season, is 43-2 against the Hall.
FACING #1
Seton Hall is 0-14 all-time when facing the top-ranked team in the Associated Press Poll. In each case, that team has been Connecticut. The closest of the 14 games was an 84-62 Huskies' win at Walsh Gymnasium on Feb. 12, 1995.
THE LAST WIN
On Jan. 5, 1994, the Pirates claimed their last win over Connecticut, a 74-53 romp at Walsh Gymnasium. The unranked Hall toppled the #8 Huskies behind 20 points and 10 rebounds from Shamona Marable. All five starters scored in double figures for the Pirates, while Jamelle Elliott paced UConn with 12 points and Rebecca Lobo added 10. The Huskies committed 24 turnovers.
CREW GETTING IT DONE
Junior Jasmine Crew turned in her third 20-point game of the season against Marquette, her career-high total. Crew has led Seton Hall in scoring in each of the past five games, averaging 15.6 ppg in that span, helping her take over the team lead. She has also heated up from three-point territory, going 8-of-13 over the last four contests to reach 38.9 percent on the year, the seventh-best mark in the BIG EAST.
JOSEPH CLEANS THE GLASS
In the penultimate home game of her career, senior center Kashmere Joseph grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds against Villanova. It was just her second double-digit rebounding performance as a Pirate.
'NOVA COMES OUT ON FIRE
Villanova shot 60.0 percent overall and from three-point territory on its way to 45 first-half points against Seton Hall. Despite cooling off considerably in the second stanza, the Wildcats were able to hold off the Pirates' late rally from a 27-point deficit.
GREEN ON THE GLASS
Kandice Green ranks third in the BIG EAST with 8.1 rebounds per game, a year after finishing fifth in the conference. She has recorded six double-doubles on the season, good for a fourth-place tie in the BIG EAST. A year ago, she was fifth in the league with 11 double-doubles. Green's 23 career double-doubles rank third among active BIG EAST players, behind only the 47 posted by Maya Moore of Connecticut the 24 of Chelsea Cole of Pittsburgh.
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
After grabbing one rebound against Notre Dame, junior Kandice Green now has 636 for her career, good for 16th place in school history. Green is also up to fifth all-time in made free throws with 318, leaving her 15 short of Leslie Fairbanks in fourth place. Her 439 free throw attempts rank fifth at Seton Hall.
SEARCHING FOR THE COMBINATION
Through 26 games, Anne Donovan has rolled out 15 different starting lineups for Seton Hall. The first five has remained the same for the past two games.
WOOD DOUBLES UP
Junior Whitney Wood recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Marquette. Both numbers were career-highs, as were her 36 minutes of playing time.
PIRATES FIRE ACCURATELY
Seton Hall shot 21-of-42 from the floor against Marquette for a season-high 50.0 percent performance, while its 6-of-11, 54.5 percent showing from three-point land was its second-best of the year. The Pirates' undoing proved to be their 25 turnovers which led to 24 points for the Golden Eagles.
ON THE BOARD
Seton Hall gave head coach Anne Donovan her first BIG EAST win with its 51-44 defeat of Cincinnati. The victory snapped a nine-game losing streak overall and a 17-game conference losing streak dating back to last season. The Pirates tied their season-high with eight made three-pointers and also held their first lead of 20 or more points this season.
WINNING SHORT-HANDED
The Hall defeated Cincinnati while playing without its top scorer and rebounder, Kandice Green, who did not dress after suffering an ankle injury in the previous game at Notre Dame.
INJURY BUG KEEPS BITING
Seton Hall leading scorer and rebounder Kandice Green went down with a sprained ankle after just four minutes against Notre Dame and did not return to the game. The Pirates have already lost freshman Elaine Swaby for the season to a knee injury, while freshman Tiffani Blackman has missed the last six games with a foot injury.
NO LUCK AGAINST THE IRISH
Seton Hall's lost its 15th consecutive game to a ranked team on the road in its 89-38 defeat at Notre Dame. The Pirates allowed several opponent season highs, including points (89), field goal percentage (64.0%), assists (20) and steals (17). Seton Hall scored a season-low 38 points and had its second worst shooting night of the season at 24.6 percent.
HEARTBREAK AT THE BUZZER
In a game featuring 13 ties and 18 lead changes, Providence escaped Walsh Gymnasium with a 58-55 win over Seton Hall. The Pirates had a chance to tie as time expired, but a three-point attempt by sophomore Brittany Morris was just off the mark.
DONOVAN HONORED
Seton Hall head women's basketball coach Anne Donovan was named the Sports Woman of the Year at the New Jersey Sports Writers' Association 75th anniversary banquet on Jan. 30.
CAREER-HIGHS FOR JOSEPH
Senior Kashmere Joseph turned in one her top performances as a Pirate against Georgetown, setting career-highs with 10 rebounds, three steals and 32 minutes played.
20/20
Juniors Kandice Green and Jasmine Crew each scored 20 points at USF, marking the first time two Pirates have hit that benchmark in the same game since Dec. 29, 2008 at Massachusetts. Crew tied her career-high, while it was the third game of the season and second straight with at least 20 points for Green.
GREEN PRODUCES AT DE PAUL
Kandice Green scored 16 of her game-high 20 points in the second half to lead a late charge in the Pirates loss to DePaul. Despite playing just 26 minutes due to foul trouble, Green also secured six rebounds while getting to the free throw line 13 times.
BIG EAST HOME OPENERS
Seton Hall is now 13-16 all-time in BIG EAST home openers after losing to West Virginia on Jan. 5. The Pirates have dropped the last three since a Jan. 5, 2008 win against Cincinnati, 54-43.
DOUBLE OT THRILLER
Seton Hall improved to 1-1 all-time in double overtime games with its 73-69 win over Rhode Island. The only other time the Pirates played two extra sessions resulted in a 76-72 loss to Boston College on Feb. 25, 1991. Overall, the Hall is 17-9 in overtime contests.
CREW COMES THROUGH
Junior Jasmine Crew set career-highs with 20 points and four assists while tying the school record of 43 minutes played in the Hall's double-overtime win over Rhode Island. She is the seventh Pirate to hit the 43-minute mark and the first since Kandice Green earlier this year at William and Mary on Dec. 5, 2010.
JOSEPH BACK IN ACTION
Senior Kashmere Joseph returned to the Hall's line up against Rhode Island after missing 12 games due to a thumb injury. She had five points and four rebounds over 17 minutes in reserve.
SETON HALL VS. THE ATLANTIC 10
Seton Hall finished the non-conference season with a 4-0 mark against the Atlantic 10, with wins over Temple, Massachusetts, LaSalle and Rhode Island. The Pirates are 37-21 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic 10. The most wins over any one team have come against LaSalle, whom the Pirates are 8-2 against.
CREW RETURNS
After missing the St. John's game with an injury, guard Jasmine Crew was back in action at Drexel. Crew scored a team-high 13 points while sinking a season-best two three-pointers in 19 minutes off the bench.
CONFERENCE PLAY KICKS OFF
Seton Hall and St. John's met in their conference opener on Dec. 8, the earliest BIG EAST game for the Pirates since Dec. 5, 2006 at Providence. The contest marked the second-earliest game in a season between the schools, behind only a Dec. 2, 1997 match-up. With the loss, Seton Hall is now 11-18 all-time in both BIG EAST openers and BIG EAST road openers.
HISTORIC DAY FOR K. GREEN
Junior Kandice Green turned in one of the greatest individual performances in Pirates' history against William and Mary, setting new career-highs with 31 points and 23 rebounds. The 23 rebounds set a Kaplan Arena record and represent the second-highest single-game total in Seton Hall history, bested only by Ozelina Gorham's 25 against Scranton on Jan. 9, 1979. The 31 points scored by Green tie her for the sixth-best single-game performance in school history, and her 13 made free throws and 18 free throw attempts are both the second-highest single-game totals in Pirates' history. She also tied the school record by playing 43 minutes.
HOME OPENING WIN FOR DONOVAN
Seton Hall turned in one of its most exciting performances in recent memory, blitzing Temple in the second half on its way to a 72-59 win. The victory was the first for new head coach Anne Donovan and came in her Walsh Gymnasium debut.
THE DONOVAN ERA BEGINS
Named just the third head coach in program history on March 29, 2010, Anne Donovan made her debut on Seton Hall's sidelines on Nov. 12 at Florida Gulf Coast.
SEASON OPENERS
Seton Hall is 28-10 all-time in season openers after falling to Florida Gulf Coast. It was the first season debut played under the guidance of new head coach Anne Donovan; Sue Dilley was 9-3 in 12 seasons, while Phyllis Mangina was 19-6 in 25 seasons.
KANDICE GREEN LEADS THE REUTRNEES
Junior Kandice Green leads the returning Pirates in 2010-11 after a strong sophomore campaign. Last season, she was second on the team with 12.8 points per game and tops with 8.7 rebounds. Green ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in rebounding and in double-doubles, of which she totaled 11, and also set a new Seton Hall season record with 130 made free throws.
LONE SENIOR
Center Kashmere Joseph will have Senior Night all to herself this season, as she is the only fourth-year player on the Seton Hall roster.
CREW GAINS ELIGIBILITY
After sitting out the 2009-10 season upon transferring from Northeastern, Jasmine Crew will suit up for the first time in the blue and white of Seton Hall this season. Crew was a Second Team All-Colonial selection as a sophomore after leading the Huskies with 13.9 points and 3.2 assists.
SIX NEW FACES
Five freshman and one junior college transfer are new to the Seton Hall roster for the 2010-11 season. Tiffani Blackman, Nicosia Henry, Jazzmine Johnson, Ka-Deidre Simmons and Elaine Swaby make up the rookie class, while junior Tajay Ashmeade joins the program from Trinity Valley Junior College.
ASHMEADE REPRESENTS JAMAICA
In the summer of 2010, Tajay Ashmeade helped the Jamaica senior national women's team to a silver medal in the 2010 Centrobasket Tournament in Puerto Rico and a berth in the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship, the final qualifier for the 2012 Olympics in London. Ashmeade was a major contributor on the team, turning in several strong performances including a 12-point, six-rebound effort in 35 minutes against Trinidad & Tobago.
DONOVAN SIGNS TWO FOR 2011-12
Seton Hall head women's basketball coach Anne Donovan has announced the signing of a pair of student-athletes to national letters of intent. Alexis Brown, a 5-foot 8-inch guard, and Chizoba Ekedigwe, a 6-foot 5-inch center, will join the Pirates in the fall of 2011. Brown has been a standout performer for one of the nation's top high school teams, Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. Fundamentally sound and noted for her aggressive play, she was co-MVP of her high school team as a junior while helping the squad to a 38-4 record and the National Christian School Athletic Association national championship. Brown, who plays for the eight-time defending Florida AAU champion Jacksonville Lady Rams, is a Sporting News honorable mention All-American. Ekedigwe averaged 10 points, 10 rebounds and over three blocks per game at St. Vincent Pallotti in Laurel, Md. She led the IAAM Conference with 82 blocks on the season. A versatile prospect, Ekedigwe played both forward and center for the Blue Star Maryland club team. She is a member of both the Spanish and National Honor Society, as well as the Varsity Club and the volleyball team.
WATCH THE PIRATES
Every Seton Hall home women's basketball game will be streamed live on shupirates.com. Join play-by-play announcer Jon Schaeffer as he calls all the exciting action of Pirates' basketball.
2011 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2010 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship will once again be held at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., on March 4-8. For the third straight year, all 16 teams will be invited.
DONOVAN'S STAFF
Anne Donovan has assembled a talented staff in her first season as Seton Hall's head coach. Jenny Palmateer, Ty Grace and Catherine Proto will serve as assistant coaches, while David Kim will act as director of operations. Nanna Rivers came aboard as the coordinator of operations, while Meg Tarrant is the graduate assistant.
