FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team returns to the court on Thursday for a 6:00 p.m. clash against ACC foe Boston College at the Eagles' Conte Forum.  

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OPENING TIP

• Sacred Heart heads to Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Thursday for a high-profile matchup against ACC foe Boston College. 
• The Pioneers and Eagles have met six times in the two teams' histories, with BC owning a 4-2 lead in the all-time series. 
• SHU beat the Eagles in 1979 and 2012, the latter being a 54-48 triumph at a tournament hosted by Seattle University. 
• The Pios opened the season with a thrilling 63-58 comeback win over Hofstra on Monday. 
• SHU trailed by 10 with 7:10 left in the game, but scored the following 10 points to even the score, sealing the win by hitting its late free throws. 
• Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers with 21 points, seven assists and six steals. 
• Emma Kirby had one of the best games of her career against the Pride, putting up 16 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double. 
• Dianne Crespo López and Carmen Williams both had stellar SHU debuts on Monday. 
• López tallied 10 points and three boards in her collegiate debut, while Williams hit a pair of crucial 3-pointers to spark Sacred Heart's run in the fourth quarter. 
• As of Wednesday, the only teams in the MAAC with wins this season are the Connecticut programs: SHU, Fairfield, and Quinnipiac.

LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers opened the season with a thrilling 63-58 at Hofstra on Monday evening. SHU trailed by a game-high 10 points, 54-44, with 7:10 left in the game before stringing together a strong run. The Pioneers scored the following 10 points, starting with back-to-back 3-pointers from Carmen Williams. Ny'Ceara Pryor and Emma Kirby capped their impressive games with two points in the run. After taking the lead with 1:23 remaining, The Pioneers hit their clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the season-opening victory. Pryor led the team with 21 points, seven assists and six steals, while Kirby posted her second career double-double on 16 points and 10 rebounds. Dianne Crespo López posted a solid collegiate debut with 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench. 

KIRBY SUPER STAR
Kirby had one of the best games of her young career on Monday. The sophomore forward tallied 16 points and 10 boards in her 30 minutes of playing time. The Chadds Ford, Pa., native was outstanding all over the court, tallying a pair of fastbreak layups, while also chipping in a game-high two blocks. Kirby last tallied a double-double against the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Nov. 23 of last season, when she racked up career highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds in a 31-point Pioneers' victory.

SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE 

• The Eagles won their opening game of the season on Monday, leveling Lafayette by 30 points, 85-55. 
• Leading the way for the Eagles was redshirt fifth year Kennedi Jackson with 20 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the floor. 
• Jackson came to BC from Charleston Southern, where she was named First-Team All-Big South after averaging 14.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in her redshirt senior campaign. 
• Jackson was named to the preseason watch list for the Lisa Leslie Award as one of the 20 best centers in the country.
• Andrea Daley chipped in a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Leopards.
• Daley was named to the preseason watch list for the Chery Miller Award as one of the 20 best small forwards in the nation. 
• The 6-0 senior (13.2 PPG) was the team's second-highest scorer last season, trailing fellow returner Teya Sidberry (13.6 PPG).

SERIES HISTORY

• Thursday's game between the Pios and Eagles will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the two teams. 
• Boston College leads the all-time series 4-2, winning the last meeting, 97-68, at Conte Forum in 2021. 
• Sacred Heart's two victories in the series came in 1979 and 2012, the latter being a 54-48 triumph at a tournament hosted by Seattle University.