FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team continues its season-opening road trip with a 2 p.m. bout at UAlbany on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Broadview Center in Albany, N.Y.

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OPENING TIP

• The Pioneers head to UAlbany on Saturday, Nov. 16, for a 2 p.m. showdown against the Great Danes. 
• SHU and UAlbany have met 15 times over the two teams' histories, as both were members of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in their times in         Division II. 
• The Pios lead the all-time series 9-6, with the last meeting being in the 2011 campaign when the Great Danes won 64-54. 
• SHU heads into Saturday's contest with a 1-2 overall record after falling at NJIT by a final score of 73-52 on Wednesday evening. 
• The Pioneers tallied their best rebounding performance of the season in the defeat, recording 46 boards in a strong showing on the glass. 
• Emma Kirby led those efforts with eight rebounds in 18 minutes, while Nalyce Dudley posted seven in 23 minutes. 
• On offense, Ny'Ceara Pryor paced the team with 17 points, her 25th straight game with 10+ points. 
• Carmen Williams had her best offensive game at SHU on Wednesday with a season-best 12 points, going a stellar 5-for-8 from the floor.

LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers fell at NJIT on Wednesday evening by a 73-52 final score. The Highlanders got off to a hot start in the game, scoring the first seven points before SHU answered by knotting the score at 9-all. Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, NJIT's hot shooting lasted for the entirety of the first half, as they took a 48-29 lead into halftime. Despite an impressive performance in the third, holding the Highlanders to just four points for the quarter, SHU could not get back into the contest. Pryor and Carmen Williams led the offensive efforts with 17 and 12 points, respectively, the latter marking a season-high for the senior. The Pios were strong on the glass all night with a season-best 46 rebounds. Emma Kirby and Nalyce Dudley commanded the post with eight and seven boards. 

NEW CONTRIBUTORS
The Pioneers have leaned on all of their newcomers this season, with all of them seeing time on the court. Williams leads the charge, ranking second on the team in minutes at 27.7. In addition to her defensive efforts, the George Mason transfer averages 7.0 points per game and leads the team with three made 3-pointers. First year Dianne Crespo López also sees a good chunk of minutes at 19.7, averaging 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds as an energy giver off the bench. Finally, junior Grace John (9.7 mins) and first year Esther Kursite (8.0 mins) have also given SHU some solid relief minutes in their first campaigns with the Pios.

SCOUTING UALBANY

• The Great Danes are rolling to start the season, heading into Saturday with a 2-0 record. 
• UAlbany has defeated both Rhode Island (67-57) and Dartmouth (58-53), the former being a home contest in Albany. 
• Last year, the Great Danes made the America East semifinals and the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) first round. 
• Graduate guard Kayla Cooper leads the way for UAlbany, as she is second in America East with 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. 
• She poured in 17 points and 14 rebounds to help lead the Great Danes past Rhode Island in their opener. 
• Fellow graduate guard Jessica Tomasetti is second on the team with 15.0 points per game, with 16 in the win over the Rams. 
• Tomasetti barely leaves the court for the Great Danes, as she averages 36.58 minutes over the team's first two contests.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday's matchup will mark the 16th all-time meeting between the Pioneers and Great Danes. 
• The series features nine bouts when the two teams were a part of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) at the Division II level. 
• They have met six times since the turn of the century, with the most recent clash coming in 2011. 
• The Pioneers lead the series 9-6 after winning two out of the last three bouts.