WBB Back in Action Thursday Against Fairfield
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NR/RV SETON HALL (9-1) vs. FAIRFIELD (2-6)
South Orange, N.J. (Walsh Gymnasium) • Thursday, Dec. 18 • 7:00 PM
Broadcast: Pirate Sports Network (Play-by-play: Jon Schaeffer)
Radio: wsou.net (Play-by-play: Brendan Borthwick; Color: Vincent Paolella)
Seton Hall Game Notes 
| Fairfield Game Notes | Live Video |
The Seton Hall University women's basketball team returns to the court after a nine-day hiatus, for the completion of the fall semester and final exams, for an immediate test as the Pirates will play two games in as many days, starting with the Fairfield Stags on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
For Seton Hall, the upcoming challenges will be twofold, playing back-to-back games and refocusing after a long layoff following what was an important win over Illinois last Tuesday. Led by Tabatha Richardson-Smith record tying performance of 38 points, the Pirates topped the Fighting Illini 82-72, to improve to 9-1 overall, 2-0 against opponents from the Big Ten, and win their eighth game in a row, the longest winning streak for the program since the 2003-04 season.
The win over Illinois may have been the first instance the Pirates appeared to be firing on all cylinders. In addition to four players scoring in double figures, SHU used a season-high 16 steals to force the Fighting Illini to commit 21 turnovers, leading to 35 points for The Hall. SHU is averaging 22.0 ppg off turnovers this season, and 12.7 steals per game rank 14th in the nation.
Fairfield is a young team with an emphasis on scoring in the paint. Kristin Schatzlein leads the team on offense, averaging 15.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and Casey Smith was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week last Tuesday, and is averaging 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
The Stags do not take a lot of shots from 3-point range, attempting just 124 so far this season, but they are fairly efficient from deep, hitting 37.9 percent of those shots. Schatzlein leads the way with 23 3-pointers, knocking down just shy of three per game.
Depth is an area that Fairfield will look for an advantage. The Stags have nine players currently averaging at least 15 minutes per game, compared to just six for Seton Hall, but five of those players are averaging fewer than six points per game.
The key for Seton Hall will be maintaining a strong defensive presence in the paint, with Bra'Shey Ali, Chizoba Ekedigwe and Janee Johnson maintaining that advantage, at which point The Hall should be able to implement its fast-paced tempo. Fairfield averages only 60.4 ppg, and could struggle to keep pace with a Seton Hall squad that has scored at least 80 points in back-to-back games.
SETON HALL STATUS
- Seton Hall has won eight-straight games for the first time since the 2003-04 season and is coming off an 82-72 victory over Illinois last Tuesday. The Pirates are now 2-0 against the Big Ten this season. At 9-1 overall, Seton Hall is off to its best start since 2008-09.
- Junior guard Tabatha Richardson-Smith tied her own Seton Hall single-game scoring record, scoring 38 points in the victory over the Fighting Illini. She buried six 3-pointers and grabbed seven steals in the win.
- Seton Hall has won 11-straight games at home dating back to last season, the second such 10-game home winning streak for The Hall since Anthony Bozzella took over the program last season.
FAIRFIELD STATUS
- Fairfield is also coming off an extended break, most recently losing to Quinnipiac back on Dec. 7, 67-66. The Stags have already played a pair of conference games, beating Siena in their MAAC opener, 60-55.
- Forward Casey Smith was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week on Dec. 8, after leading the Stags to a 1-1 start to conference play. She averaged 14.0 ppg in Fairfield's two league contests.
- The Stags have seen four players start all eight games this season, including their leading scorer Kristin Schatzlein (15.4 ppg). Smith is also averaging double figures at 11.8 ppg.
SETON HALL VS. THE MAAC
- Seton Hall has had a good amount of success playing teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference over the years, posting an 92-12 overall record against MAAC foes, good for a .885 winning percentage.
- Seton Hall head coach Anthony Bozzella is very familiar with Fairfield, having coached in the MAAC at Iona College for 11 seasons prior to taking over the Pirates' program.
- Seton Hall's last game against a school from the MAAC came earlier this season against Saint Peter's at the SHU Thanksgiving Classic, a game the Pirates won, 75-45.
RICHARDSON-SMITH TIES SINGLE-GAME SCORING MARK
- Tabatha Richardson-Smith erupted for a school-record tying 38 points in Seton Hall's 82-72 win over Illinois on Dec. 9.
- She tied a record she set just last season, when she finished with 38 points in a comeback overtime win against Marquette.
- Prior to last season, the SHU single-game scoring mark was 36 points, and had stood for more than 25 years, since Geraldine Saintilus set it against St. John's in January 1989.
- In the win over Illinois, Richardson-Smith scored her 38 points on 11-for-20 shooting from the field, 6-for-12 from 3-point range. She also had seven steals, five rebounds and was 10-for-12 at the line.
- The total steals and free throws made and attempted both represented career-bests for the sharp-shooting junior.
ACCOLADES COME POURING IN FOR RICHARDSON-SMITH
- Tabtha Richardson-Smith was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Dec. 15, one week after she tied the SHU single-game scoring record with 38 points in an 82-72 win over Illinois.
- It is the first time this season and the third time in her career Richardson-Smith has earned Player of the Week honors from the conference.
- Seton Hall has seen three players earn BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades already this year, with Ka-Deidre Simmons and Daisha Simmons achieving the feat earlier in the year.
- Richardson-Smith was also named the USBWA National Women's Basketball Division I Player of the Week and the Corvias ECAC Metro/Upstate Division I Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week.
RUN THAT WIN STREAK TO EIGHT
- With its 82-72 victory over Illinois on Dec. 9, Seton Hall ran its current winning streak to eight games in a row, matching the longest streak for The Hall since the 2003-04 season.
- Against Fairfield, Seton Hall will be looking to win its ninth straight for the first time since the 1994-95 season
- The Pirates also boast a pretty healthy home winning streak, taking 11 in a row in Walsh Gym dating back to last season.
- It is the second 11-game home winning streak for The Hall since Tony Bozzella took over the program. Prior to that, the Pirates had not won 10-straight in Walsh since a 20-game streak from 1993-95.
PIRATES RATED NO. 20 IN LATEST RPI
- Seton Hall may not have cracked either top-25 poll just yet, but the Pirates are amongst the nation's leaders in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, checking in at No. 20.
- The Pirates are the highest rated team in the BIG EAST according to the RPI rankings, with St. John's checking in at No. 32, and Creighton standing at No. 61.
NATIONAL LEADERS
- Seton Hall has a couple of individual players that rank amongst the national leaders in a handful of categories.
- Tabatha Richardson-Smith currently ranks No. 11 nationally in steals per game (3.44) and No. 18 in 3-point field goals per game (3.11). She leads the BIG EAST in both categories.
- Ka-Deidre Simmons leads the BIG EAST and is No. 16 in the nation, averaging 5.9 assists per game.
