Richardson-Smith Tabbed Unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST Pick
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK - Seton Hall women's basketball senior forward Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team, the league announced at Media Day on Wednesday (Oct. 14). A two-time All-Conference selection in her career, Richardson-Smith was one of seven unanimous selection the 11-member team, voted on by the 10 BIG EAST head coaches. Also announced by the league was the Preseason Coaches' Poll, which tabbed The Hall for a fifth-place finish.
The Preseason All-Conference nod for Richardson-Smith comes after the forward led the Pirates in scoring with 17.8 points per game last year, good for third in the BIG EAST. The sharp-shooter drained a program-record 94 three-pointers on the year, most in the league, and set the Seton Hall all-time career mark with 199 triples. She enters her senior season ninth on The Hall's all-time scoring list with 1,321 points.
A strong two-way player, Richardson-Smith added to her scoring accolades by finishing eighth in the BIG EAST with 6.8 rebounds per game and second in the league with 2.4 steals per contest. In conference play she upped her rebound total to 8.5 boards per game, third-best in the league. Richardson-Smith currently ranks in the top-15 all-time in eight statistical categories at The Hall and owns two of the program's four-best single-season scoring marks.
The fifth place selection for The Hall comes after a record-breaking 2014-15 campaign that saw the Pirates set a program-record with 28 wins and clinch their first regular season BIG EAST title with a 15-3 league record. Under BIG EAST Coach of the Year Anthony Bozzella, The Hall set a single-season scoring record and ranked 22nd in the nation with 75.6 points per game. The Pirates also boasted the BIG EAST's best field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.7 percent shooting.
In addition to Richardson-Smith, The Hall returns seven letterwinners from last year's squad. Tiffany Jones (New York, N.Y.) is second among returners in scoring and rebounds after averaging 7.0 points and 5.8 boards a game in 22 contests off the bench in '14-15. The Pirates gain the services of Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.) for '15-16 after the Iona transfer and All-MAAC performer sat out last year and also welcome impact transfer Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.).
The Hall opens the 2015-16 season on Friday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. against the Bryant Bulldogs. The Pirates will face a challenging slate that includes opponents from the ACC, Big Ten and SEC along with in-state rivals and 2015 NCAA Tournament teams Rutgers and Princeton, both at historic Walsh Gymnasium.
