Hall Honors 1993-94 Women's Basketball Team
11/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2013
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall University Department of Athletics on Friday, Nov. 15, welcomed back one of the greatest teams in school history as the Pirates honored the members of the 1993-94 women's basketball team, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its incredible run to the Sweet 16 in the 1994 NCAA Tournament.
The 1993-94 squad is without question the greatest women's basketball team in school history, compiling an overall of 27-5 and 16-2 in the BIG EAST, finishing as the runner-up in the conference tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 in the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Pirates also achieved a national ranking for the first time in program history and peaked at No. 14 in the final Associated Press poll of the season.
Nine members of the team including team captain Jodi Brooks, Dawn Johnson, Amanda Makarewicz, Shamona Marable, Kim Marsh, Kendra Nelson, Texlin Quinney, Tynetta Turner and Rukaiyah Walker along with head coach Phyllis Mangina, team manager Karen Brown and secretary Helen Bilicska attended the anniversary celebration.
The group was able to gather and reminisce before the women's basketball game against Weber State with a reception in the Seton Hall women's basketball suite where head women's basketball coach Anthony Bozzella met with the team shortly before tipoff.
At halftime of the Weber State game the team was honored individually and Mangina and Brooks addressed the crowd, recalling key moments from the season, particularly the team's 74-53 win over the eighth-ranked University of Connecticut in Walsh Gym and topping the University of Texas, 71-66, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet 16.
Seton Hall's 27-5 record that season still stands as the best in program history in terms of total victories and winning percentage. Three of the top-eight scorers in program history were members of that squad, with Dana Wynne ranking fourth in school history with 1,622 points, Brooks fifth with 1,558 points, and Johnson eighth with 1,299 points.
Brooks was a First-Team All-BIG EAST selection that season after scoring 595 points, the second-highest single-season total in school history. She was also an honorable mention All-American honoree and landed on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team and the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. Shortly after the conclusion of the season her No. 12 was retired, making her at the time just the second female athlete in school history to receive that distinction.
Mangina, who was in her ninth season guiding the program, was named the BIG EAST, Converse District 2, Metropolitan Women's Basketball Association and New Jersey Division I Coach of the year.
Additionally Johnson and Marable landed on the All-BIG EAST Third-Team and Wynne was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team and All-Tournament Team.
In the NCAA Tournament the Pirates won two games at Walsh Gymnasium, topping Vermont in the first round, 70-60, behind 30 points from Brooks. The second-round matchup saw No. 25 Texas come into Walsh Gymnasium and with Brooks leading the way with 26 points the Pirates held off the Longhorns, 71-66, to extend the first NCAA Tournament run in school history.
Seton Hall battled No. 2 Penn State in the regional semifinals in Austin, Texas, and despite double figure scoring efforts from Brooks (18) and Wynne (14), the Hall was edged by the Nittany Lions, 64-60.
