Pioneers Set to Clash with Central Connecticut State Saturday Afternoon
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SACRED HEART (13-10, 8-5 NEC) VS CENTRAL CONN. STATE (15-10, 11-3 NEC)
GAME 24 * New Britain, Conn. * Detrick Gymnasium * 1:00 PM
Live Stats and Video
Inside the Series...
- This is the 44th time in program history the Pioneers have faced Central Connecticut State
- SHU leads the all-time series 28-15
- Since joining the NCAA Division I ranks, Sacred Heart is 24-8 against the Blue Devils
- Earlier this season, CCSU stunned the Pioneers on Coach Bike Court in the second NEC game of the season. Behind four players with double-digit points, the Blue Devils went home with a 62-49 victory
- The Pioneers went 1-1 against CCSU last season, topping the Blue Devils 77-59 at home before falling 74-55 on the road
- Central Conn. State knocked SHU out of the Northeast Conference Tournament in the quarterfinal round in consecutive years: 63-51 in 2010 and 54-49 in 2011
Scouting the Blue Devils...
- CCSU comes into Saturday's game on a two-game slide having dropped both games of the Western Pennsylvania road trip
- Until Saturday's loss to Robert Morris, the Blue Devils held the top spot in the NEC for the majority of the season, and are currently tied for second with Bryant
- The Blue Devils are led by junior forward Tejahne Malone who is currently averaging 11 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. On the road at Wagner, she led CCSU to an 83-67 victory with a season best 22 points
15 Going on 16...
Sacred Heart needs just one win to clinch a spot in the 2015 Northeast Conference Championship. The Pioneers have been in the tournament every year since joinging the league making this the sixteenth consecutive time SHU has a chance at a title. Sacred Heart had never finished lower than tied for third going into the tournament the first fourteen season, and made it last year as the six seed. The Pioneers are currently in fourth place in the NEC. If they hold onto that position, SHU will host a quarterfinal home game.
Shepard Serves it Up...
Senior point guard Katie Shepard dished out a personal best 10 assists Monday leading Sacred Heart to a season sweep of Mount St. Mary's. She became the first Pioneer since Ericka Norman in 2013 to reach a double-digit assist total.
Kimmel Seeing Double...
Hannah Kimmel's season double-doubles reached double figures on Monday night as she recorded her tenth of the season with a team best 20 points and 10 rebounds in SHU's 66-60 win over Mount St. Mary's. Ten double-doubles has her ranked 39th among the NCAA Division I ranks and third in the Northeast Conference behind Breanna Rucker (19) and Ericka Livermore (11).
Finding Monday Success...
The Pioneers dropped the first three Monday games of 2014-15 Northeast Conference slate, but have recently found success on Monday winning their last two Monday contests against Wagner, 73-60, and Mount St. Mary's, 66-60.
Wildcard Selection...
The Northeast Conference announced Wednesday that Monday's game between the Sacred Heart Pioneers and the Robert Morris Colonials was chosen as the women's ESPN3 wildcard game. The game holds postseason implications as both teams are currently in the top four spots in the league with Robert Morris sitting atop the standings with a 12-2 conference record. The Pioneers are still vying for a quarterfinal home game hoping to remain in the top four over the final two weeks of the regular season.
