FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team will spend its Thanksgiving break at the Discover Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Pioneers will play Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, VCU and UCF over Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 23-25. 

OPENING TIP

• The Pioneers will participate in the three-day Discover Puerto Rico Classic starting on Thursday, Nov. 23.
• SHU does not have much history against the three teams it will face at the event, as this weekend will mark its first-ever meeting against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez and UCF, while it will meet VCU for a third time.
• The Pios head into Thursday's opener riding a three-game win streak, last beating Hofstra 63-60 on Sunday.
• Sacred Heart dominated the game for the first three quarters before holding off a Pride comeback in the fourth to get a home-opening victory.
• Ny'Ceara Pryor and Sajada Bonner led the team with 18 points each.
• Pryor also paced SHU with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. After this performance, the sophomore guard earned NEC Player of the Week honors for the first time this season.
• Amelia Wood posted another stellar showing with 15 points and seven rebounds against Hofstra. The sophomore has been outstanding over SHU's last two games with 15+ points and 5+ rebounds in a pair of non-conference wins for the Pioneers. 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Pryor was named the NEC Player of the Week for the first time this season and the third time in her career after she helped lead SHU to two wins this past week. The reigning NEC Player, Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year led the Pioneers with 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game as the team racked up wins over Monmouth and Hofstra. Pryor played 79 out of 80 minutes over the two contests, with her 40-minute performance against Monmouth marking the first time in her career that she did not see the bench. The Baltimore, Md., native has won NEC Player of the Week three times in her career and was a record 13-time Rookie of the Week last season.

KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE
With Sunday's win over Hofstra, the Pioneers have won three straight non-conference games. The Pios defeated Morgan State, defending CAA Champs Monmouth and Hofstra over a seven-day period, the first two coming on the road. Sacred Heart had not tallied a three-game, non-conference win streak since the 2014-15 season when they opened the year with victories over Iona, Bridgeport and Maine.

SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR
For the second straight season, the Pioneers will participate in a Thanksgiving tourney after taking part in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament last year. SHU played Butler and hosting Florida Atlantic in its two games in Boca Raton, Fla. The second game against the Owls was tightly contested, with the home team sneaking out with a 68-66 win in a back-and-forth contest. Pryor led Sacred Heart that day with 23 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. 

SCOUTING UPRM
The Tarzans of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez own a 0-2 record so far this season following losses to Union (TN) and Saint Michael's. The latter contest was much closer than the first, as the Purple Knights had to squeak out a 58-55 comeback win on Monday, Nov. 20. Leading the Tarzans in scoring through two games is Paola Sierra López with 16.0 points per game. Paola Hernandez Santiago is another key member of UPRM, as she was one of just two Tarzans to start both games this season. Hernandez Santiago leads the team in minutes (30.2), rebounds (7.5) and assists (2.0) per game.

SCOUTING VCU
The Rams head into the Thanksgiving tournament with a 3-1 record, tallying wins over Hofstra, William & Mary, and East Carolina. VCU's lone loss came against James Madison on Sunday, Nov. 19, 78-65. This season has been quite the turnaround for the Rams, as they finished last season with a 7-22 overall record and were the 13th seed in the A10 tournament. One reason for VCU's turnaround has been its success at both 3-point lines. The Rams rank 17th in the country by holding opponents to a 20.4% clip from deep while they are shooting 35.7% from 3-point range. Leading the team early in the season is preseason All-A10 Second Teamer Sarah Te-Biasu. The senior guard is averaging a team-best 15.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. Sophomores Mary-Anna Asare and Timaya Lewis-Eutsey are tied for second on the team with 13.0 points per game. Asare also leads the Rams with 2.0 steals per game.

SCOUTING UCF
UCF is a perfect 3-0 going into the Discover Puerto Rico Classic. The Knights own wins over Bethune-Cookman, Anderson and Auburn. Against the Tigers on Sunday, UCF earned a 60-53 home victory thanks to strong first- and third-quarter performances. Laila Jewett played 38 minutes and led the team with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor and 3-for-4 shooting from deep. Jewett ranks second on the team in scoring (15.0 ppg), while being first with 4.0 assists per game. Her success from behind the arc has significantly impacted the team, as Jewett ranks fifth in the country with a 70.0% 3-point field-goal percentage, while the Knights are seventh as a team (44.4% 3PT FG%). Kaitlin Peterson leads Jewett with a 21.7 points-per-game average, to go along with 4.0 rebounds per game.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST THE FIELD
The Pioneers do not have much of a history against the three teams they will face at the 2023 Discover Puerto Rico Classic. SHU has never faced the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez or UCF and has played VCU just twice. The Pios and Rams played a home-and-home series in the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons, with VCU winning both games. Sacred Heart dropped a heartbreaker in the second matchup, falling in overtime by an 87-84 final score at home.