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Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University Pioneers
NCAA Win Celebration
Brandon Vallance

SHU Faces Stanford in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Pioneers meet the Cardinal for the first time in program history

3/17/2023 1:56:00 AM

By: Allison Hogue
ESPN2 | Live Stats | SHU Game Notes 

STANFORD, Calif.— After earning its first NCAA Tournament victory on Wednesday, the No. 16 Sacred Heart University women's basketball team turns back around on Friday to play No. 1 Stanford in the First Round. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod on the call.
 
OPENING TIP
  • Sacred Heart plays Stanford for the first time and program history and the first Pac-12 team since 2013 which was Jessica Mannetti's first season as head coach.
  • The Pioneers made school history, becoming the first team in SHU history and first women's basketball team in NEC history to win an NCAA Tournament game. The team earned that milestone with a 57-47 win over Southern in the First Four.
  • Pryor, who was named the NEC Tournament MVP, is the first rookie in conference history to earn Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. In addition, she was selected to First Team All-NEC and All-Rookie Team. Pryor is the leader in the nation in steals per game (3.8) and steals overall (122). She is the leader in the conference in scoring (17.9) and has tallied 20+ points in 15 games.
  • Sajada Bonner was named to Second Team All-NEC. She leads the Pioneers and is second in the NEC with 60 three-pointers made. The graduate student notched a career-high six triples against SFBK.
  • Amelia Wood earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie Team. She is coming off the bench averaging 7.7 points and a second team-leading 5.6 rebounds per game.
 NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
  • Sacred Heart is 1-3 when playing in the NCAA tournament.
  • The Pioneers earned its first ever NCAA tourney win against Southern, 57-47, on Mar. 16, 2023 in Stanford, Calif.
  • SHU first appeared in the tournament in 2006. SHU lost to Maryland, 54-95, in the first round in Albuquerque, N.M.
  • The Pioneers returned in 2009 when they lost to Ohio State, 77-63 in Berkley, Calif.
  • SHU's third in the NCAA tournament was in 2012. The Pioneers lost to Georgia Tech, 50-76, in Des Moines, Iowa.

ABOUT STANFORD:

  • Stanford has made 36 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including 28 appearances in the Sweet 16, 22 in the Elite Eight and 15 in the Final Four. 
  • The Cardinal has won national titles in 1990, 1992 and 2021.
  • The last time Stanford lost to a #16 team in the NCAA tournament was in 1998 when they fell to Harvard, 71-67.

 
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