Women's Basketball Unveils 2013-14 Schedule
9/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sept. 11, 2013
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall University women's basketball program on Wednesday announced its full 2013-14 schedule in conjunction with the BIG EAST Conference unveiling the full ledger for all 10 member schools. The Pirates will open the season at home on Friday, Nov. 8, when they host Longwood in Walsh Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Seton Hall's BIG EAST opener will come at St. John's University on Saturday, Dec. 28, in Queens, N.Y.
The 2013-14 BIG EAST season will feature an 18-game double round robin format with each team playing a home-and-home series with the other nine conference foes. The year will culminate with the 2014 BIG EAST Championship, to be hosted Saturday-Tuesday, March 8-11, in Chicago, Ill. The first round action will take place at McGrath arena on the campus of DePaul University while quarterfinal, semifinal and championship action will be held at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.
The semifinals and final of the BIG EAST Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 as a part of the conference's new partnership with the cable network that is available in nearly 90 million homes across the nation.
"We look forward to establishing a new tradition of excellence in women's basketball in the BIG EAST, and the national exposure afforded by our agreement with Fox will play a key role," said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. "We have terrific coaches and student-athletes to showcase, and Fox's regular season and postseason game coverage will allow us to bring exciting competitions and compelling stories to our fans."
Seton Hall's non-conference slate will feature 11 opponents, with nine home games and a pair of challenging road tilts. The season-opener against Longwood opens a three-game home stand to start the year, where the Pirates will also face Rider on Sunday, Nov. 10, and Weber State on Friday, Nov. 15.
"I think as a new head coach and having a new system it is nice to play a lot of home games," Seton Hall head women's basketball coach Anthony Bozzella said. "I know that the fans will enjoy our up tempo and aggressive style of play and I am excited that they get to see us play a lot early in the year."
The first road trip of the season will come Sunday, Nov. 17, when Seton Hall travels down to Columbia, S.C., to face perennial Southeastern Conference power the University of South Carolina.
Six days later Seton Hall begins a stretch of four-straight home contests, which includes a two-day Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 29-30. The Pirates face Wagner on Saturday, Nov. 23, and then welcome Savannah State, Fresno State and Liberty to Walsh Gymnasium over Thanksgiving break. Seton Hall will face Savannah State in the opening round on Friday afternoon.
The month of December begins with a home game against UMass-Lowell on Saturday, Dec. 7, and then the Pirates will hit the road once again, this time traveling to Champaign, Ill., to battle the University of Illinois as a part of the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge.
"On the road we have two tremendous challenges in Illinois, which is a very strong team, and South Carolina, one of the elite teams in the country coached by legendary Hall of Famer Dawn Staley," Bozzella said. "Those are really two very difficult road games."
A final non-conference warm-up comes Saturday, Dec. 21, in the form of a home game against NJIT and then the BIG EAST season gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 28, as the Pirates head over to Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y., to square off with the St. John's Red Storm.
Seton Hall steps out of conference once more as it hosts a New Year's Eve meeting with Stony Brook on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and then the Pirates truly begin BIG EAST play in earnest.
With the double round robin format in place for the 2013-14 season all nine conference foes will pay a visit to Walsh Gymnasium. Seton Hall's BIG EAST home opener comes against Butler on Saturday, Jan. 4.
"It really is so important to be able to play each team twice," Bozzella said. "When you are playing each team once there can be some disparity depending on who you play on the road and what time of year you match up. By playing each team twice by the end of the year you should know where you stand against each team in a fair and equitable way."
The Pirates host DePaul on Tuesday, Jan. 14, and Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 18, and have a stretch of three-straight BIG EAST home games with Creighton on Tuesday, Jan. 28, St. John's on Saturday, Feb. 1, and Villanova on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Seton Hall hosts Providence on Tuesday, Feb. 18, Marquette on Saturday, Feb. 22, and closes out the regular season on Tuesday, March 4, against Xavier.
A complete listing of game times will be officially announced at a later date.
Season tickets for Seton Hall women's basketball are on sale now for $45. General admission and reserved center section seats are available. To purchase tickets contact the Seton Hall Athletic Ticket Office at (973) 275-HALL (4255) or visit www.shupirates.com.
