Hall Visits Happy Valley in Preseason WNIT
11/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NR/RV SETON HALL (1-1) at NR/RV PENN STATE (1-1)
State College, Pa. (Bryce Jordan Center) • Saturday, Nov. 22 • 7:00 PM
Broadcast: None
Radio: 89.5 FM WSOU (Play-by-play: Kevin Huebler; Color: Rohit Ravi)
Seton Hall Game Notes 
| Penn State Game Notes |
The Seton Hall University women's basketball team's difficult run through the Preseason WNIT continues on Saturday night, when the Pirates travel to Happy Valley to face off against the defending Big Ten champion Penn State Lady Lions at 7 p.m.
For The Hall, this is the second-straight game against a defending conference champion, having suffered a narrow defeat at defending Big 12 champs and 17th-ranked West Virginia, 89-87, last Monday night. Both Seton Hall and Penn State are receiving votes in the latest USA Today/Coaches Top-25 Poll and will be looking to make a move up the rankings with a win. For the Pirates, it is the first time they are receiving top-25 consideration in nearly 20 years; SHU was last ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll on Jan. 31, 1995.
Historically, Seton Hall has not experienced a great deal of success against Big Ten programs, with just a 5-18 overall record against league members and its last win coming at Northwestern on Dec. 6, 2007. The Hall is 0-9 all-time against Penn State, and 0-4 at Penn State, but the two programs will tangle for the first time in exactly 16 years, since Nov. 22, 1998.
Penn State is coming off a one-point home loss to Albany last Sunday afternoon. After jumping out to a three possession lead early in the first half, Penn State saw its margin whittled away, and the two teams played the second half so tightly that neither team led by more than four points. The Great Danes clinched it at the line with fewer than 10 seconds remaining.
Both Seton Hall and Penn State have seen nearly all of their offense come from the starting lineup; for SHU the five starters have scored all but eight points through the first two games of the year.
PSU is led by redshirt freshman guard Lindsey Spann, who is averaging a team-best 15.5 points and 4.0 assists per contest, and redshirt sophomore Sierra Moore also averages double figures at 10.0 ppg. The Lady Lions are a young team, with four underclassmen in the starting lineup.
Two keys to look out for on Saturday night will be the battle of the boards, and the ability to take care of the basketball. Both squads have a negative rebound margin early in the season. For Seton Hall especially, limiting second-chance opportunities will be key; after being outrebounded 29-19 in the first half at West Virginia on Monday, The Hall battled back to control the glass 24-16 in the second half.
Penn State has turned the ball over more than 18 times per game already this year, a trend that could play into the Pirates' favor. Seton Hall excels at turning over its opponents, Rider committed 31 in the season opener, and if Penn State's young guards are unable to withstand Seton Hall's pressure, it could lead to transition points for the Pirates.
SETON HALL STATUS
- Seton Hall was led by junior Tabatha Richardson-Smith in the heart-breaking loss at West Virginia on Monday. She was 11-for-17 from the field with 32 points and tied a school record as she connected on seven threes.
- The starting lineup again was dominant as they accounted for 84 of The Hall's 87 points in the loss. Junior guard Jordan Mosley came off the bench to drain a key 3-pointer in the second half.
- Janee Johnson, Daisha Simmons and Ka-Deidre Simmons also scored in double figures. The Pirates had 18 assists, while shooting over 43 percent from the field as a unit. They were the first team to score more than 80 points at West Virginia since 1998.
PENN STATE STATUS
- Penn State suffered a narrow loss to Albany in the second round of the WNIT last Sunday afternoon, falling 54-53. Neither team led by more than four points in the second half of a very close game.
- Lindsey Spann led two Penn State players in double figures with 14 points, and Jenny DeGraaf came off the bench to add 12 points.
- For the year, the Lady Lions are led by Spann's 15. 5 ppg, and Sierra Moore also averages double figures at 10.0 ppg.
- Penn State has had trouble protecting the ball, turning it over 18.5 time per contest.
SETON HALL VS. THE BIG TEN
- Seton Hall is 5-18 all-time against the current members of the Big Ten Conference, and the Pirates are 0-9 all-time against Penn State.
- The Pirates' last match-up with a team from the Big Ten was at Illinois last season, a game SHU lost 71-70 after leading by 20 points in the second half.
- Seton Hall has two wins on the road against Big Ten foes, both coming against Northwestern. The Pirates beat the Wildcats on the road in 1994 and again in 2007.
- The 66-51 victory over Northwestern on Dec. 6, 2007, is Seton Hall's last win against a Big Ten foe.
RECEIVING VOTES
- Seton Hall received a vote in the latest USA Today/Coaches Top-25 Poll.
- The Pirates have not been ranked in either poll since they were No. 25 in the AP Top-25 Poll on Jan. 31, 1995.
- Seton Hall has not received top-25 votes in either poll in nearly 20 years, since that 1994-95 season.
TOUGH STRETCH
- Participating in the Preseason WNIT has afforded the Pirates an opportunity to strengthen their out of conference schedule, but SHU is facing a very difficult week of games.
- After falling by just two points at West Virginia on Monday night, Seton Hall heads to Penn State this weekend, meaning the Pirates are facing the defending Big 12 and Big 10 champions in consecutive games, on the road.
THREE-POINT RECORD FALLS
- Seton Hall set a new school record with 12 made 3-point field goals in its 89-87 loss at No. 17 West Virginia on Nov. 17.
- The Pirates broke the previous record of 11, accomplished twice, last time against Drexel on Dec. 12, 2011.
- For the game, Seton Hall shot 12-for-25 from 3-point range (48.0 percent) and was led by Tabatha Richardson-Smith's school-record tying seven 3-point field goals.
