Richardson-Smith Named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
12/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2013
NEW YORK - Seton Hall University sophomore Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) was named to the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Weekly Honor Roll Monday it was announced by the league office. Richardson-Smith scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Pirates to a 74-48 win over NJIT on Saturday afternoon.
It is the third time this season Richardson-Smith has been named to the conference Weekly Honor Roll and the fourth-consecutive week the Pirates have had a student-athlete receive weekly BIG EAST accolades. Jasmine Crew was the last Seton Hall player to be named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll three times in the same season, a feat she accomplished during the 2011-12 campaign.
Richardson-Smith, who ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 20.8 points per game, nearly outscored NJIT by herself in the first half on Saturday afternoon, pouring in 19 points over the first 20 minutes, which would have topped the Highlanders' first-half output if not for a Camerin Spahn 3-pointer as time expired.
In just 13 minutes of court time Richardson-Smith shot 7-for-9 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range, also picking up a pair of steals. She added one more field goal in the second half to register her sixth 20-point game of the season and lead the Pirates in scoring for the sixth time.
It was the fourth game of the season in which Richardson-Smith has drained at least four shots from long distance. She ranks second in the BIG EAST in 3-point shooting percentage (.468) and 3-point field goals per game (2.9). Richardson-Smith also came away with three steals in the win, adding to her conference leading average of 2.5 takeaways per contest.
Seton Hall is off to an 8-2 start heading into its first conference contest of the season next Saturday at St. John's. The Red Storm (6-4) are coming off a 72-70 win over No. 24 Texas A&M on Sunday in which conference Player of the Week Aliyyah Handford finished with 27 points, including the game-winner with two seconds to play.
Tipoff against St. John's at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y., is scheduled for 2 p.m.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Aliyyah Handford, G - St. John's
BIG EAST Rookie of the Week
Jessica January, G - DePaul
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Caroline Coyer, G - Villanova
Alexis Harris, F - Providence
Arlesia Morse, G - Marquette
Sarah Nelson, F - Creighton
Tabatha Richardson-Smith, G/F - Seton Hall
