Richardson-Smith BIG EAST Player of the Week
12/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK - One day after scoring a game-high 25 points to help lead the Seton Hall University women's basketball team to one of the biggest wins program history, a 70-51 victory over No. 14/16 Georgia on Sunday afternoon in Walsh Gym, junior guard Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) has been named the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Player of the Week, Monday it was announced by the league office.
Richardson-Smith, who earns conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and the fourth time in her career, has now been tabbed as the BIG EAST Player of the Week more times than any other player in program history.
In the impressive double-digit win over Georgia on Sunday, which was the first victory over a ranked opponent for The Hall since 2007, Richardson-Smith shot 9-of-16 from the floor and 5-for-11 from 3-point range, also racking up six rebounds and two steals.
She scored 17 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, including 11 in row during a critical 25-2 second half surge for The Hall, during which she scored on four consecutive possessions, burying three 3-pointers, the last of which left the Pirates with a 64-43 advantage with fewer than six minutes remaining.
Richardson-Smith leads Seton Hall and ranks fourth in the BIG EAST, averaging 17.8 ppg. She has topped 20 points three times this season, including a school-record tying 38 point performance in a win over Illinois on Dec. 9. Additionally, she is first in the league in 3-point field goals per game (3.2) and second with 2.8 steals per contest.
Sitting at 12-1 overall heading into the bulk of BIG EAST Conference play, Seton Hall has matched the best start to a season in program history, and has won 11 games in a row for just the third time and the first in 33 seasons. The Pirates have now won 14-striaght games in Walsh Gym, a streak second only to a 20-game winning streak that spanned 1993-95.
Prior to Sunday's win over Georgia, Seton Hall had not defeated a team ranked in the AP Top-25 since topping No. 19 Marquette, 63-58, on Feb. 20. 2007. The Hall had not defeated a team ranked No. 14 or higher since a year earlier a win at No. 12 Notre Dame in January 2006.
Seton Hall is currently No. 21 in the NCAA RPI rankings and receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top-25 Polls for the first time since 1995.
The Pirates return to action on Tuesday night, when they host the Butler Bulldogs in Walsh Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Tabatha Richardson-Smith - Seton Hall, G
BIG EAST Rookie of the Week
Sydney Lamberty - Creighton, G
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Kavunaa Edwards - Villanova, F
Brittany Hrynko - DePaul, G
Blaire Langlois - Butler, G
Brianna Richardson - Creighton, F
Tori Rule - Providence, G
