Pirates Open 2018-19 Campaign on Tuesday At Walsh

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall women's basketball team will kick off the 2018-19 campaign with a matinee at Walsh Gym on Tuesday, hosting Wagner for a 2 p.m. tip. The contest will be available live and FREE on the Pirate Sports Network and the SHU Pirates app or over the air on WSOU, 89.5 FM.

The Hall is coming off a 16-16 campaign that concluded with a home WNIT game, marking the program's fourth postseason bid in five years under head coach Anthony Bozzella. With a solid core of returners and a slew of incoming talent, The Hall will look to continue its run of success under Bozzella and make another run towards the top of the BIG EAST and postseason play.

SETON HALL TIP-INS

The Pirates will kick off their 46th season of play on Tuesday afternoon at Walsh Gym
The Hall returns eight letterwinners from last year's WNIT squad, including four of the top six scorers
Head Coach Anthony Bozzella enters his sixth season at the helm of the Pirates with a 99-64 record at SHU
The Pirates are 7-2 all-time against Wagner, last meeting early in the 2013-14 campaign
The Hall is 35-10 all-time in season openers and a perfect 5-0 under Bozzella

EXHIBITION RECAP >>

The Hall took down Jefferson University on Thursday night by a score of 95-81
Employing a new fast-paced offense, the Pirates attempted a total of 76 field goals and knocked down 13 shots from 3-point range
Victoria Cardaci led five Pirates in double-figures with 20 points, including six 3-pointers
Freshman Femi Funeus went for a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double in her first collegiate action inside Walsh Gym

WHO'S BACK? >>

The Pirates return eight members of last year's WNIT squad, with seven players who saw action along with now-eligible transfer Victoria Cardaci
Inja Butina is the top returning scorer for the Pirates after averaging 7.8 points per game last year
Last season, Butina led The Hall with 3.9 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game and a 43.5 percent mark from 3-point range
Also back is versatile forward Shadeen Samuels, who is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign that saw her average 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game
Samuels finished top-10 in the BIG EAST in rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage a season ago
Sophomore center Kimi Evans started 19 games a season ago and led the Pirates with a 52.6 field goal percentage as a rookie
Senior Nicole Jimenez and sophomore Selena Philoxy both return after steadily improving throughout their first season at The Hall
Jimenez started each of the final six games of the '17-18 campaign and averaged 11.8 points per game in that stretch after going for 4.4 points per over the prior 26 contests
Philoxy saved some of her finest performances of the season for postseason play, recording three of her four double-digit scoring efforts on the year in the BIG EAST Tournament and WNIT
Joining The Hall after practicing with the team for the second semester in 2017-18 is Cardaci, who knocked down more than 100 shots from 3-point range in three seasons at Clemson

WHO'S NEW? >>

The Pirates welcome eight total newcomers to the fray in 2017-18
Freshmen Femi Funeus, Whitney Howell and Danielle Robinson all come in after highly decorated prep careers and will have an opportunity to contribute immediately
Graduate transfer Diandra DaRosa spent the last two seasons at Virginia Tech and is eligible immediately
Former five-star recruit Desiree Elmore was granted an NCAA waiver to compete this season after spending the last two years at Syracuse
Two other transfers - Alexia Allesch (UMass) and Alexis Lewis (Iona) will sit out this season while the status of Barbara Johnson (Ole Miss) remains pending

WHAT'S AHEAD
The Pirates are back at home over the weekend, hosting the Seton Hall Tip-Off on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10-11. The Pirates will take on Kennesaw State on Saturday at 12 p.m. before facing UTSA on Sunday at 1 p.m.