SHU Come Home to Host Providence Friday Night
11/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2006
Sacred Heart vs. Providence Game Notes in PDF Format
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Sacred Heart Pioneers (2-4, 0-0 NEC) vs. Providence Friars (7-1, 0-0 Big East)
Game #7 - Friday, December 1, 2006 - 7:05 pm - Fairfield, Conn. - William H. Pitt Center (2,100)
The Storyline... The Sacred Heart Pioneers return home Friday night to welcome Providence College for their first-ever visit to the William H. Pitt Center. The Pioneers finished 1-2 on their three-game Ivy League road swing and are coming off a 61-57 overtime loss at Columbia Tuesday night. The Pioneers closed the game on a 9-0 run to force overtime but got doubled up, 8-4, in the extra session. SHU is struggling offensively in the early stages of the season, shooting just 33.4% (119-356) and averaging 59.2 points. The Friars have been rolling in the early going, running out to a 7-1 mark, averaging 71.2 points per game and shooting 45.5% (214-470) from the field. The Pioneers will be looking to get back to their winning ways at home after seeing their 15-game home winning streak snapped by La Salle two weeks ago.
Series... The all-time series is tied, 1-1. The two teams renewed acquaintances last season for the first time since the 1979-80 season. The Pioneers earned their first-ever win over a Big East school in Division I with a 65-49 win at Alumni Hall. The first ever meeting took place on December 28th, 1979 with the Friars posting a 59-42 win over the Pioneers. The game was part of the Kean College Tournament in Union, N.J.
The Coaches... Ed Swanson (SHU `89) enters his 17th season as head coach at his alma mater. Swanson posts a 258-196 record in his career at Sacred Heart. His teams have a 132-77 record since joining the Division I ranks in 1999-00. Swanson is the program's longest tenured coach and is the all-time leader in coaching wins, (258) and winning percentage (.569). He also earned his first ever NEC Brenda Reilly Coach of the Year award after guiding SHU to a then school record 21 wins in 2003-04. Phil Seymore (Canisius `89) is in his second season at the helm of the Providence women's basketball program. Seymore has a 15-20 (.429) record in his two years as the head coach of the Friars and overall.
Last Time Out... The Pioneers held Columbia scoreless for the last 4:57 of regulation and used a 9-0 run to force overtime but came up short being outscored 8-4 in the extra session, falling to the Lions 61-57 in New York Tuesday night. SHU got 20 points, six rebounds and four blocks from sophomore Kaitlin Sowinski in the loss. Columbia used a 15-4 run midway through the first half and got four three's from Megan Griffith, including one at the halftime buzzer, to lead 37-22 at the break. Sowinski carried the Pioneers in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring the first nine points, including a three point play. The Lions had an answer each time and maintained a nine-point lead for much of the second stanza. It wasn't until the five minute mark when the SHU defense, led by Pape, willed the Pioneers back into the game. The Pioneers turned Columbia over six times on the run, including a shot clock violation and tied the game at 53-53 on a Pape fast break lay-up. The Pioneers mustered just a Pape free throw in the opening minute of overtime as lay-ups by Caitlin Stachon and Griffith sealed SHU's fate. A SHU three pulled the Pioneers to within 57-54, but Danielle Browne buried four free throws in the last 12 seconds to ice the win. In addition to Sowinski's 20, senior Jasmine Walker turned in a double double with 11 points and 13 rebounds while making five steals. Pape tallied 11 and just missed the double dip with nine rebounds.
Pioneers vs. the Big East... Sacred Heart is 3-9 all-time against teams from the Big East Conference. SHU picked up their first win against the conference since joining the ranks of Division I in last season's opener, defeating Providence College, 65-49. SHU added to that with an 84-57 win at Syracuse to finish 2-0 against the league last season. Prior to last year's wins, the Pioneers lone win came against Boston College, 60-48, way back during the 1979-80 season. Sacred Heart is 1-1 against BC as a member of the Big East. SHU is 1-1 against both Providence, and Syracuse. The Pioneers have losing records against Pittsburgh (0-2), Georgetown (0-2) and Seton Hall (0-3).
Scouting the Friars... The Providence Friars are off to a fast start to 2006-07 with a 7-1 record. The Friars won their first six-straight before falling to UNC-Greenboro, 72-68, in their Thanksgiving tournament. PC rebounded and comes to Fairfield off a 79-53 win at New Hampshire Tuesday night. Sophomore Chelsea Marandola is leading the Friars this season, scoring 18.1 points per game with 8.4 rebounds. She has already posted four double doubles on the season and earned a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll twice this season. The Friars were picked to finish 14th in the Big East Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Last Meeting with Providence... The Pioneers opened the 2005-06 season with a 65-49 win over Providence College and in the process earned their first win at Division I over a team from the Big East Conference. The Pioneers were led by junior center Jasmine Walker who posted a career-high 17 points while playing a career-high 38 minutes to pace SHU to its first win of the year. Pape finished with 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds and three steals. Senior Nicolle Rubino was also in double figures with 13. Walker, who led with 17, scored 11 in the second half and finished with five boards. The Pioneers played strong defensively, forcing 21 turnovers and holding the Friars to just 31.0% (18-58) shooting from the field. Kerri Burke finished with six points and tied her career high with seven rebounds.
Streaks, Trends, Milestones, Notes...
Friday's game will be the first of two games Sacred Heart plays against the Big East Conference this season. The Pioneers will take on UConn on New Year's Eve.
Sophomore center Kaitlin Sowinski is becoming the Pioneers go-to-player in the paint. Sowinski has scored double figures in the last four games, averaging 17.5 points in those contest. She had her second career 20 point effort Tuesday night and posted her first career double double on Saturday versus Yale (16pts, 12rebs). She is currently 9th in the NEC in scoring (13.7 ppg), 12th in rebounding (6.5 ppg), 1st in field goal % (.651) and 1st in blocked shots (2.00 bkpg).
Senior Jasmine Walker recorded her first double double of the season and the 17th of her career in the loss at Columbia. Walker finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds. She hit the only shot she took from the field but made nine of 13 at the line. Her 13 boards has now moved her into sixth place on the all-time list (668).
The Pioneers played their first overtime game on Tuesday since losing to Robert Morris, 68-62, in overtime of the Northeast Conference semifinal in 2005.
SHU outrebounded it's first opponent on Tuesday night, grabbing 43 rebounds to Columbia's 42. The Pioneers are -8.3 in rebounding margin through six games, ranking 9th in the NEC. SHU was 3rd last season, at +2.2.
Tuesday's loss at Columbia wrapped up a three-game road trip through the Ivy League with the Pioneers finishing 1-2. SHU was 3-0 last year against the Ivies. Last time SHU finished a season under .500 against the Ivy League was 1998-99 when they lost to Harvard and Dartmouth.
