FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team will conclude its regular-season series against LIU on Thursday night at the Pitt Center, with the Pioneers and Sharks set to tipoff at 7 p.m. 

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OPENING TIP

• The Pioneers and Sharks will meet for the 51st time on Thursday. 
• After taking the first matchup of this season's series, the Pios own a 30-20 lead in the all-time series, winning four straight. Sacred Heart has also won nine of their last 10 against LIU at home. 
• The Pios enter Thursday after recording an impressive 83-63 road victory over Wagner on Sunday.
• Wood led the way for the Pioneers by pouring in a career-best 25 points. The outstanding sophomore hit a career-high 10 field goals and sank three shots from behind the arc. 
• Ny'Ceara Pryor also had an outstanding performance with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a season-best six steals. In recognition of her play, Pryor earned her first MET DI Women's Player of the Week honor on Tuesday morning. 
• Sajada Bonner and Nalyce Dudley also crossed double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. 
• Bonner recorded her second straight 13-point game with five rebounds and three assists. 
• Dudley played just 11 minutes and posted 10 points, two rebounds and two steals, going 4-for-5 from the floor.

CAREER DAY FOR AMELIA
Sophomore guard Amelia Wood put on a show against the Seahawks Sunday afternoon, as she poured in a career-best 25 points in just 24 minutes to help the Pioneers earn a 20-point victory. Wood hit a career-high 10 field goals, burying three from behind the arc. The Wynantskill, N.Y., native has really come into her own in her second season, as she has tallied two 20-point outings this year and is third on the team in scoring with 9.7 points per game. 

MBWA HONORS FOR PRYOR 
Pryor added another award to her resume this week, being named the Division I Women's Player of the Week by the Met Basketball Writers Association on Tuesday morning. Pryor led the Pioneers with 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.5 steals in a 1-1 week for Sacred Heart. Pryor was a five-time MET Honorable Mention selection last season and a three-time honoree this year. The Baltimore, Md., native was tabbed the MET Rookie of the Year and All-Met First Team in 2022-23.

SCOUTING THE SHARKS
The Sharks are 5-12 overall this season and 3-2 through five games in the NEC. LIU is playing its best basketball of late, as it won three games in a row after suffering a loss to Sacred Heart on Jan. 13. The Sharks bested Saint Francis on Friday and Central Connecticut State on Sunday of last week, with the latter being on the road. Ashley Austin and Amaya Dowdy have led the Sharks so far this season. Austin has done it on both sides of the ball, leading the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and steals (2.6 spg). She ranks second in the NEC in steals per game and third in scoring. Dowdy has been a menace in the paint, pacing the Sharks with 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, the latter ranking 33rd in the country. 

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. LIU
The Pioneers and Sharks will meet for the second time this season on Thursday, with the first being a SHU 67-56 win at LIU on Jan. 13. With the victory, the Pios improved to 30-20 in the all-time series against the Sharks, with wins in each of the last four games. SHU has also won nine of their last 10 home games against LIU.

LOOKING AHEAD
Tomorrow's game will kick off a busy weekend for the Pioneers, as SHU will also be home again on Saturday at 2 p.m. Thursday's contest will be a Pack the Pitt with Pride game. On Saturday, Sacred Heart will both celebrate its women's basketball 50th-aniversary team and National Girls and Women in Sports Day.