2013 NEC WBB ROAD TRIP
STOP #6: William H. Pitt Center, Fairfield, CT
Saturday, February 16, 2013 – 1pm

Robert Morris Colonials (7-16, 6-6) at Sacred Heart Pioneers (16-7, 8-3)

Watch on NEC Front Row

SHU Game Notes 

RMU Game Notes 

After a week in which winter storm Nemo wreaked havoc on the NEC women’s basketball schedule, our 2013 Road Trip resumes on Saturday afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center for a matchup between the reigning champion, Sacred Heart Pioneers, and the Robert Morris Colonials. Despite going eight days in between games, the weather postponements didn’t cool off the Pioneers current hot streak on Tuesday night against FDU. After starting 1-3 in conference play, the champs have won their last seven straight games to sit at 8-3, good for second place in the current standings. Come tournament time, the Pioneers haven’t ever finished lower than third place during their entire 13 year stay in the Northeast Conference. The Robert Morris Colonials have been to the postseason eight straight seasons, and have been in the tournament semi-finals the last two and seven out of the last eight years. Even after losing multiple starters from last year’s team, and having several key players go down due to injury, Coach Sal Buscaglia has the Colonials right in the thick of the 2013 playoff race. RMU is 6-6 and currently tied with Mount for sixth place. After a 2-4 start in conference play, the Colonials have won four out of their last six games. 

PRE-GAME NOTES

  

 

ALL TIME SERIES

Sacred Heart leads the all-time series 18-7. The Pioneers have won five straight and seven out of the last eight encounters. RMU’s last victory in the series was a 71-48 win in February 2010. These two teams met in Moon Township back on January 21st, with SHU earning a hard fought, come from behind victory. RMU held the lead for the majority of the game, and was able to increase the margin up to as many as 10 points in the second half. From the 7:42 mark, SHU finished the game on a 20-6 run, sealing a 70-66 win. Morgan Merriman led Sacred Heart with 20 points, while RMU’s Artemis Spanou became the school’s all-time double-doubles leader with her 46th career double-double. Spanou would finish with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the defeat.

These two teams matched up twice at the Pitt Center in 2012. First, they would tangle in the final game of the regular season with the Pioneers playing for the regular season championship. With the Pioneers down three, then-freshman Gaby Washington connected on a three at the regulation buzzer from the right corner to send the game into overtime. In the bonus session, SHU would outscore the Colonials 13-9 to stake a 70-66 victory and claim their program’s fourth regular season title. Just eight days later, their paths would cross again in the NEC Tournament semi-finals, with a trip to the championship game on the line. Sacred Heart would advance to their fourth final, battling their way to a 61-56 victory. Four Pioneers finished in double figures scoring as Gaby Washington netted 18 points, Alexis Campbell scored 13, tournament MVP Erika Norman provided 11, and Player of the Year Callan Taylor added 12.

Including last season’s semi-final showdown, the two schools have faced off three times in the NEC Tournament, with RMU winning two out of the three. The most notable playoff matchup occurred in March of 2007 when they played in the NEC Championship Game. Jenna Burkett converted one of two free throws with 13 seconds left to put Robert Morris ahead 68-66. After Coach Swanson called a timeout with 4.5 seconds remaining to draw up one final play, Amanda Pape missed a runner in the lane that would have sent the game into overtime. The Colonials would win the game, their third championship, and for the first time, go on to represent the NEC in the NCAA tournament. In the past seven seasons, Sacred Heart and Robert Morris have combined to win five out of the last seven NEC Tournament titles.  

 

TALE OF THE TAPE

Scoring Offense: SHU (3rd – 60.6), RMU (9th – 56.5)

Scoring Defense: SHU (1st – 56.0), RMU (7th – 63.1)

Field Goal %: SHU (7th - .380), RMU (10th - .355)

Field Goal % Defense: SHU (3rd - .371), RMU (10th - .395)

3 point Field Goal %: SHU (7th - .302), RMU (3rd - .323)

ABOUT THE PIONEERS

After an eight day layoff, the Sacred Heart Pioneers finally returned to the hardwood on Tuesday night, extending their win streak to seven games with an 80-48 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. With the win, Pioneer head coach (and reigning NEC Brenda Reilly Coach of the Year) Ed Swanson, collected career victory number 400. Swanson, who won his 300th game back in December of 2008, has been at the helm for 23 years at Sacred Heart and has led the program to three NEC championships. The Pioneers have been led in scoring by a different player in each of the last three games. On Tuesday against FDU, it would be senior Kiley Evans chipping in 21 points to pace the squad. Teammates, Gaby Washington with 14, and Morgan Merriman with 10, would also finish in double figures scoring.

The Pioneers current seven game win streak is their longest in program history since they went a perfect 18-0 during the 2009 conference season. That year Sacred Heart would go on to record a program record 21 straight wins overall en route to the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Pioneers started conference play by dropping three out of their first four games, including a 29 point loss at Quinnipiac and an overtime loss to CCSU. Since their loss in New Britain to the Blue Devils back on January 14th, the Pioneers have not tasted defeat. The streak started with an impressive sweep of the Pennsylvania road trip. SHU handed the Red Flash their first NEC loss of the year with a 71-50 win in front of the NEC TV cameras, and then followed up with a come from behind win against the Colonials.

ABOUT THE COLONIALS

The Colonials 2012-13 season has been one of their most hectic seasons in recent memory. The team started the year with only one returning starter, and facing a daunting non-conference schedule. RMU started 0-10, the longest winless drought to start a season in Coach Sal Buscaglia’s tenure, which includes their 3-24 season in 2003-04. Prior to the opener, projected starting center Jolie Olingende was lost for the year due to an injury. Then in early December, senior point guard Jasmine Tate was lost for the season with a knee injury. More recently, freshman standout Lou Mataly injured her knee against St. Francis in late January, and hasn’t played in the last four games. Freshman Randi Jackson has done a solid job in the starting lineup this season, filling in for Tate, averaging four assists over the last seven games. Kelly Hartwell has been called on to fill in for Mataly, and the junior guard has responded, averaging 11 points and 6.7 rebounds over the last three contests. Robert Morris has won three out of their last four games and four out of their last six to sit at sixth place, with a 6-6 record in conference play with six games to go.  

Last Monday the Colonials avenged an early season loss to their arch-rivals, St. Francis, with a 67-53 victory at home. The Colonials led throughout, taking advantage early of 16 St. Francis first half turnovers to build up a 33-20 halftime lead. Italian freshman Ashley Ravelli poured in a career high 22 points on 6 for 17 shooting from the floor. Junior Artemis Spanou completed her 18th straight double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

For her efforts last weekend, Artemis Spanou was named as the Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week. Spanou has recorded 18 straight double-doubles and is the school’s all-time double-double leader with 51. The Greek Goddess has taken over the NEC lead in scoring with 18.9 points per game, and leads the entire nation with 15 rebounds per contest. She enters the weekend with 978 career rebounds, just 22 shy of becoming a 1,000 point/1,000 rebound player for RMU.

ODDS & ENDS

Sacred Heart is 9-1 at the Pitt Center in 2012-13, and 24-2 at home since the start of last season…The Pioneers have had four different players earn Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week honors this season: Morgan Merriman (11/26), Ericka Norman (1/22), Kiley Evans (1/29), and Blair Koniszewski (2/5). Ironically, the Pioneers leading scorer Gaby Washington (who has scored in double figures in points in all but two games this season), has not yet won a Player of the Week award. Washington ranks fourth in the NEC in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game…Ericka Norman, the 2012 NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, is a crucial element to the Pioneers current seven game streak. Against SFU, the junior guard sparked Sacred Heart by flirting with a quadruple double, recording 16 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and 7 steals. The Chino Hills, CA native currently leads the entire NEC in assists with 166, and steals with 89…Saturday the Pioneers will celebrate “Think Pink Day” for breast cancer awareness. SHU will be wearing pink warm-up shirts and pink shoelaces to raise awareness for the cause.

Four of the five RMU starters and five of the 10 on the Colonials roster were born overseas…Anna Gailite is the tallest player in RMU program history, and is second in program history in career blocks…The Colonials have qualified for eight straight NEC tournaments. RMU won back to back tournament titles in 2006 and 2007….Junior Artemis Spanou is 266 points shy of becoming the Colonials all-time leading scorer, and 142 rebounds shy of becoming the school’s all-time leading rebounder…Hampered by injuries early in the season, the Colonials found some help for their short bench within their own athletics program. Three year softball letterwinner Britta Grafton joined the Colonials basketball team with about a week remaining in the fall semester. The senior from Jamestown, PA is back on the hardwood for the first time since her senior year at Jamestown High School. Grafton, who hit .250 with 10 runs batted in last year in softball, has appeared in five basketball games this year, including seeing time in each of the last two games.  

AROUND THE NEC

Mount St. Mary’s hosts Central Connecticut State on Saturday in a contest packed with playoff implications. Northeast Conference TV cameras will be there to capture the action with Paul Dottino and Phyllis Mangina on the call. The game will air live at 3pm on ESPN3 and Cox Sports, and on tape delay on FCS. Mountaineers all-time great, Vanessa Blair will be recognized during the broadcast for her induction into the NEC Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Blair, a two time NEC Player of the Year and a former NEC Coach of the Year, was a crucial part of the foundation that successfully transitioned the Mount into D1 in the early 90's, and made them immediate title contenders. Also during the broadcast, a special piece will air (featuring a voiceover from yours truly) that highlights the growth of NEC women’s basketball over the years. In just three short seasons, NEC women’s basketball jumped from 27th in the nation in conference RPI in 2009, to an all-time best 15th place showing last year.

In Hamden, the Bobcats put their 11-0, undefeated, conference season on the line against the most accomplished program conference history, the St. Francis Red Flash. Last time SFU visited the TD Bank Sports Center they defeated the Bobcats on the final weekend of the regular season last year, helping deny QU of a regular season title. This year, not only can QU keep their hopes of the sixth perfect NEC regular season in history alive, but they can officially clinch a playoff spot for a 13th straight season, with a victory or a Bryant loss. 

Another intriguing and important matchup on Saturday is a battle between the Monmouth Hawks and the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers in West Long Branch. The Hawks won by four points in Brooklyn earlier this season. This time around, playoff implications loom large as both teams are battling to finish in the top four, and possibly host a first round playoff game in three weeks when the conference tournament gets underway. If the season ended now, MU would be the four seed, SFC would be seeded five, and both teams would be matching up against each other in the quarter-final round.

Elsewhere, the Wagner Seahawks will host the Bryant Bulldogs on Staten Island and the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds will welcome in the FDU Knights.

STOP #5: SFU 64, SFC 53

2013 NEC WBB ROAD TRIP
STOP #5: Pope Physical Education Center, Brooklyn Heights, NY
Saturday, February 2, 2013 - 2pm


SFU RED FLASH 64 (12-8, 7-2), SFC TERRIERS 53 (7-13, 4-5)  

 

THE GAME

Two schools who share the same name took to the hardwood on Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn Heights, NY. Both teams, St. Francis University and St. Francis Brooklyn College, entered the 2012-13 campaign with new coaches and a bunch to prove. The Red Flash, in their first season under Joe Haigh, are looking to rebound after getting bounced from their two year stint as champions in the first round of last year’s conference tournament. SFU entered the day four wins better this year, than they were through 19 games last year. On the other side, the Terriers are two years removed from a winless conference campaign and last year went 3-15 vs. the NEC. In just one off season John Thurston has taken virtually the same group of talent and completely changed the culture and attitude of the Terrier program. SFC entered the afternoon one win shy of doubling their win total from all of last season.

 

The game started out fast, which is just the way the Flash likes to play it. SFU implemented their full court pressure defense, but SFC appeared to be well prepared. They calmly made the correct passes to find the open player and get the ball across the half court stripe. On the offensive end, the Flash have a bunch of players who can pull a quick trigger, Alli Williams, Alexa Heyward, and Brittney Lilly to name a few. SFU, who may be the best passing team in the NEC, quickly moved the ball up the floor and in one or two passes were able to unleash a shot. At one point, around the 14 minute mark, I timed five consecutive SFU possessions, and found that they were, on average, getting off shots around only seven seconds into the 30 second shot clock.

SFC sophomore Sarah Benedetti thrived in the quick pace, pouring in 14 points in the game’s first 13 minutes, with four threes. In all, Benedetti would record 17 points, with five three pointers, in the first half to lead St. Francis Brooklyn to a 30-29 halftime lead. The Terriers held their largest lead at 30-24, before the Red Flash tallied the final five points of the stanza to go into intermission down just one.

Both teams shot the ball exceptionally well in the first half, with the Flash shooting 42.9% from the field while the Terriers made buckets at a 44.4% clip. Notably absent from the scoring sheet was the leading scorer in the NEC, Alli Williams from SFU. For the second straight game she was shut out in the first half, only seeing two shot opportunities and missing both.

After a sharp shooting first half, both teams would struggle to regain their stroke. By the first media timeout of the second half at 15:32, the Red Flash were shooting 1 for 6, while St. Francis Brooklyn was 2 for 8. The team’s would trade the lead back and forth five times in the first seven minutes, however one of the turning points was Jessica Kaufman getting in foul trouble. Kaufman played a big part in not allowing Alli Williams to get going, however Kaufman aggressively got tied up with Alexa Heyward going after a rebound, picking up her third foul just 42 seconds into the second half. When she returned off of the bench at the 12:21 mark, it took less than two minutes for her to commit her fourth foul on a Williams basket, allowing the Red Flash junior to convert a three point play.

Kaufman wouldn’t return for good until there was just 5:29 left in the contest. During the time she was off the floor, the Red Flash outscored the Terriers 20-13. As mentioned, after going the first 29:20 on Monday night with no points against Robert Morris, Williams had a scoreless first half for the second straight game. Despite going nearly three quarters of the game on Monday scoreless, she still would finish with 21 points. For the second straight outing she would once again score points in bunches late. After her first bucket, a layup with 15:31 to go in the game, Williams would go on to score 10 of her next 13 points with Kaufman off the floor. The other three points were a result of that three point play she would convert on Kaufman’s fourth foul. The Red Flash would establish a double digit lead for the majority of the remainder of the contest, and would go on record a 64-53 victory.

As I’ve mentioned the previous two games I’ve covered with St. Francis Brooklyn, they are a gritty team with a positive attitude and great hustle. But on this day, the Red Flash would be just too strong for the Terriers to pull off the upset. SFU outscored SFC 35-23 in the second half, holding the Terriers to just 7 for 25 shooting, and blanking them (0 for 5) from behind the arc. SFU made terrific adjustments, especially on the defensive end. They forced 18 turnovers, scoring 20 points off of those turnovers.

Alli Williams and Shene Fleming took the ball straight to the basket and dominated the paint in the second half. Each scored 17 points on the afternoon, with Williams recording her 15th double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Benedetti had a season high 24 points, four off of her career high, while Jaymee Veney quietly put together a solid showing with 12 points and 6 rebounds.

This game was a fun one to watch, especially with the fast pace of the first half. Each half featured five lead changes. But in the end, the Red Flash showed why they are currently the second best team in the Northeast Conference…good shooting, pressure defense, great passing and command of the transition game, controlling the boards, dominating the paint, and making the right adjustments. For the Terriers, they’ve come so far this season that it feels almost wrong to write about them falling back on any moral victories, but being able to hang with a team like SFU for three quarters of the contest should be a positive sign going forward.  

SFU won their eighth straight game in this “Battle of St. Francis” series. They have won a remarkable 14 straight games against the NEC’s two Brooklyn based schools combined. They will look to improve that streak to 15 when they meet the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds on Monday night. The Red Flash reach the halfway point of the season in sole possession of second place in the NEC standings at 7-2, two games better than their 5-4 record through nine conference games last season. The Terriers fall to 4-5 in NEC play and are locked in a three way tie for seventh place with the FDU Knights and the Robert Morris Colonials. Looming large is Monday night’s matchup with Robert Morris, which could have major implications in playoff tiebreakers down the road. 

CD POST GAME RECAP

NEC Front Row archive

SFC Game Recap

SFU Game Recap

Box Score

THREE STARS

1. Alli Williams, SFU – 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 31 minutes

2. Sarah Benedetti, SFC – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 three point field goals, 35 minutes

3. Shene Fleming, SFU - 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 29 minutes

THE VENUE

It was Athletic Alumni Day at the Pope Physical Education Center in Brooklyn Heights, NY. To celebrate, the Terriers were unveiling special banners, listing the members of the school’s 1,000 point career scoring club, during halftime. Usually when you’re talking about history it’s the Red Flash who draw all of the attention. This time around, with the Terriers having such a terrific season, it was a lot of fun to be able to look back and recognize some of the greats who suited up for the Brooklyn based St. Francis team for a change. There are 12 current members of the SFC 1,000 point club, led by Karen Erving and her 1,929 career points. I was lucky enough to have covered three of the 12 during my 10 years with NEC women’s basketball: Tiffany Hill, Kara Ayers, and the 6 foot 8 inch Katja Bavendam. At halftime, the banner was unveiled and all of the 1,000 point alumni who were on hand posed for a picture underneath. Following the women’s game, the men’s “Battle of St. Francis” took place where a banner was unveiled honoring the members of the men’s 1,000 point club as well.

AROUND THE NEC

ROBERT MORRIS 47, LIU-BROOKLYN 41 – The Colonials overcame a huge second half Blackbird surge to hold on for a key road win. RMU led by 13 points in the second half, but LIU-Brooklyn managed to tie things up at 41 with just over a minute to go. Freshman Ashley Ravelli drained the game winning three to lead her squad to victory. Ravelli led the Colonials with 17 points. Artemis Spanou recorded her 15th straight double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

QUINNIPIAC 74, WAGNER 56 – The Bobcats rolled to their 10th straight win overall and their ninth straight win to start conference play. QU is the seventh team since the 1998-99 season to start a year at 9-0. QU won the battle of the boards 46-33, and 19-5 on the offensive glass. They also forced 23 turnovers which led to 24 points, and dished out a conference season best 23 assists. The Bobcats led 43-31 at the half, and broke the game open with a 16-2 run midway through the second half. Felicia Barron led QU with 16 points on the afternoon.  

BRYANT 58, MONMOUTH 55 – The Hawks fought back from a 12 point halftime deficit, but just couldn’t overcome the Bulldogs in the end. After starting 0-5 in conference play, Bryant has won three out of their last four. With nine seconds left, Hawk sophomore Sara English scored a basket while drawing a foul, to cut the deficit to one. She would miss the ensuing free throw. On the other end, Danielle Douglas would convert her free throws to clinch the victory. Naana Ankoma-Mensa led the Bulldogs with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Douglas netted 12.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 55, CCSU 53 (OT) – The FDU Knights needed to work a little extra, but managed to end a four game losing streak, with a victory Saturday against the Blue Devils. Erika Livermore supplied the game winning points with a 15 foot baseline jumper to put FDU ahead 54-53 with two minutes to go in the bonus session. She would then make one of two free throw attempts to give the Knights a 55-53 edge with 1:20 to go. The Blue Devils had multiple chances to tie in the final 80 seconds, but saw a shot blocked, a jumper missed, and a desperation heave fall short. Livermore led the Knights with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Jaclyn Babe led CCSU with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

SACRED HEART 58, MOUNT 50 – Pioneer junior Blair Koniszewski netted a new career high with 26 points to lead the Pioneers to their fifth straight win. Koniszewski shot 5 for 8 from the field, including 4 for 6 from three and a perfect 12-12 at the charity stripe. Koniszewski would score 26 of the 28 bench points for the Pioneers. On the defensive end, SHU would force 20 turnovers, converting 19 points off of those Mount miscues.

NEXT WEEK

Next Saturday I will be on vacation. However even though I won’t be able to attend any games in person, I will still provide a weekend preview and a recap of the NEC Saturday slate, as usual, here on the NEC WBB Road Trip Blog.

As we navigate through the second half of the conference season, virtually every game is important and carries crucial playoff implications. If I was on the road next week, more than likely I would have been headed to New Britain, where the Blue Devils welcome in unbeaten Quinnipiac. Back on January 28th CCSU gave the Bobcats all they could handle before eventually falling 82-73. Jaclyn Babe scored 30 while Felicia Barron recorded 25. Now the Blue Devils will get a second shot at QU, on their own home court at Detrick Gym.

Last Monday, the Terriers won their first “Battle of Brooklyn” game since 2009. On Saturday they will host the Blackbirds in a rematch, looking to sweep their inter-borough rivals for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Elsewhere in the NEC, the Red Flash and Mountaineers (two programs who have combined to win 14 NEC Championships) will meet in Loretto, the Robert Morris Colonials will play host to the Wagner Seahawks, and the Bryant Bulldogs will welcome in the red-hot Sacred Heart Pioneers.

NEC FIRST HALF AWARDS

Player of the Half-Year: Alli Williams, SFU

The St. Francis junior has been the most dangerous scorer so far this season. She leads the league in scoring with 19.2 points per game and has recorded nine straight double-doubles, with 15 overall. Williams has also averaged 21.3 points per game in conference play.

Rookie of the Half-Year: Jordyn Peck, Wagner

Peck has taken home three NEC Rookie of the Week awards this year. As a first year player out of Shaker Heights, OH, Peck is the only rookie leading her team in scoring. She stands as the Seahawks leading scorer at 11.4 points per game.

Defensive Player of the Half-Year: Felicia Barron, QU and Ericka Norman, SHU

Felicia Barron is the reigning holder of this award, and quite frankly, she hasn’t done anything to warrant losing it. She is once against toward the top of the conference in steals for a Bobcat defense that thrives off scoring points from opponents turnovers. Erika Norman is the current league leader in steals, while a case could be made for Alli Williams as well due to her ability to create turnovers from the forward position.

Coach of the Half-Year: Tricia Fabbri, QU and John Thurston, SFC

Both coaches deserve to be recognized for two separate reasons. Navigating a team that has such tunnel vision toward a championship through a long regular season is one of the toughest things to do. The Bobcats are good, and they know their good, but Coach Fabbri has done a fantastic job in keeping these Bobcats focused and motivated through the first half of the season.

On the other side, John Thurston has done an amazing job guiding the Terriers. While they do have some new additions, such as two time Rookie of the Week Leah Fechko, this is basically the same roster Thurston inherited that went 4-25 just twelve months ago. Thurston has brought a new energy to this Terrier program, and has SFC in position to double their 2012 win total and make the postseason for the first time since 2008.

All-NEC First Half 1st Team

F – Alli Williams, SFU

F – Artemis Spanous, RMU

G – Jaclyn Babe, CCSU

G – Felicia Barron, QU

G – Gabrielle Washington, SHU

All-NEC First Half 2nd Team

F – Naana Ankoma-Mensa, BRY

F – Erika Livermore, FDU

G – Alysha Womack, MU

G – Jasmine Martin, QU

G – Sydney Henderson, MSM

All-NEC First Half Rookie Team

F – Honor Duvall – LIU

G – Jordyn Peck, WC

G – Leah Fechko, SFC

G – Lou Mataly, RMU

G – Ashley Revelli, RMU

2013 NEC WBB ROAD TRIP
STOP #5: Pope Physical Education Center, Brooklyn Heights, NY
Saturday, February 2, 2013 – 2pm

St. Francis Red Flash (11-8, 6-2) at St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers (7-12, 4-4)

Watch on NEC Front Row 

SFC Game Notes 

SFU Game Notes 

In a "Battle of the Franciscans," St. Francis Brooklyn College tangles with St. Francis University on Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn Heights, NY. It will mark the 52nd all time meeting. This will be one of two games on the NEC Saturday schedule featuring both teams at .500 or better. The Red Flash are currently 6-2 in conference play, and sit at second place in the league standings. The Terriers are 4-4, good for seventh place. If the season ended today, the St. Francis schools would meet in the first round of the NEC Tournament. SFU has appeared in the post-season each of the last four years, making three title game appearances, and winning two championships. The Terriers are looking to make the post-season for the first time since 2008.

PRE-GAME NOTES

ALL TIME SERIES 

The Red Flash lead the all-time series 38-13, and have won the last seven straight meetings. In fact, SFU has won their last 13 consecutive games against the NEC’s two Brooklyn-based schools combined. The Terriers will look for their first victory over the Red Flash since a February 18, 2008 win in Brooklyn. Last season, in their lone meeting, the Flash defeated the Terriers 60-51 in western PA. The schools have twice squared off in the NEC Tournament, meeting in the 1999 and 2005 quarter-final round. Both playoff encounters resulted in Red Flash wins, en route to eventual tournament titles. One interesting tie between the two schools is longtime SFC assistant coach Dionne Dodson. Dodson originally started her coaching career in Loretto, working on the staff of Myndi Hill from 1999-2002. During her time with the Red Flash, the program won two NEC Tournament titles and participated in the NCAA Tournament. Another interesting nugget is that SFU freshman Brooklyn Taylor will play her first collegiate basketball game in the city that shares her name. Taylor, hailing from Greenville, PA, has averaged 4.5 points in eight conference contests so far this year. Finally, as far as who holds bragging rights in the “St. Francis” name department, St. Francis-Brooklyn College was first established in 1859, which came twelve years after St. Francis University was founded in 1847.

MEET THE NEW BOSS

The St. Francis Red Flash are the most accomplished program in NEC Women’s Basketball history. NEC championship record books read almost like their own personal media guide. The Red Flash have taken home a record 11 tournament titles, including back to back championships in 2010 and 2011. Last season, two of their key players (Shene Fleming and 2011 NEC tournament MVP Brittany Lilly) went down before the year even started due to injury. SFU would end up finishing tied for fourth place in the standings and bowing out in the quarter-final round against their arch-nemesis, Robert Morris.

In the off-season, Susan Robinson-Fruchtl left SFU to become new head coach of the Providence Friars. Longtime top assistant Joe Haigh was called upon to slide a few chairs down the bench to the head coach's spot, getting promoted to become the seventh head coach in program history. The Notre Dame alum also became the first male coach called upon to lead the Red Flash. Haigh had served on Fruchtl’s staff for the previous four years, so his hire allowed for a sense of familiarity and stability to stay with the program. In 2012-13, Haigh has led the Red Flash to four more victories than this point last year and his squad is also averaging over four points per night better. Coach Haigh and his wife Sherri are both Notre Dame alums. Sherri (Orlosky) played four seasons for the Irish basketball team under legendary coach Muffet McGraw. The Red Flash visited South Bend for a non-conference contest back on New Year’s Eve, with the Irish coming away with a 128-55 victory.

ALLI WILLIAMS P.O.Y. RESUME 

With the 2013 conference season just about at the halfway point, Red Flash junior Alli Williams may very well be at the top of the list for NEC Player of the Year candidates. Williams currently paces all NEC scorers with a 19.3 point per game average, and ranks fourth in rebounding with a 10.9 average. In league play, Williams is the only player averaging over 20 points, coming in at 21.9. Along with Artemis Spanou, Naana Ankoma-Mensa, and Erika Livermore, Williams is a member of a select group of NEC WBB student-athletes currently averaging a double-double.

Over the course of the season, Williams passed the 1,000 career point, 600 rebound, and 200 steal marks. She joins NEC Hall of Famers Beth Swink and Jess Zinobile as the lone players in program history to get over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, and 200 steals in their career. Williams is 15th on the Red Flash all-time scoring list, just eight points behind current SFU Director of Basketball Operations, Allison Daly. Entering this season, Alli Williams only had 14 career double-doubles. Through 19 games, she has recorded 13 this year alone, and counting.

For her efforts this past week, Williams took home her fourth NEC Player of the Week award, averaging 13.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 steals. She helped end St. Francis’ two game losing streak with back to back wins against Wagner and Robert Morris.

ROOKIE SENSATION

One year ago, Leah Fechko was a team captain for the Twinsburg (OH) High School Tigers. On February 8, 2012, Fechko recorded one of the best performances of her high school career, with a 20 point, 10 rebound, 6 assist, and 6 steal showing. The game was against Stow-Munroe Falls, and it fell on Fechko's senior night. Now a week shy of one year later, Fechko is displaying the same type of confidence she had on that particular evening, at the collegiate level. The Terrier freshman has taken home the last two NEC Rookie of the Week awards. Fechko is averaging 12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds over her last four games. Last weekend against the Blue Devils, Fechko recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Two nights later against the Blackbirds, she would take home the prestigious “Battle of Brooklyn” MVP award with a career high 18 points, along with pulling down nine rebounds. She is the first freshman in a decade to win MVP honors in the annual matchup between inter-borough rivals.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

This marks the third time this season I will have the opportunity to see the Terriers play in person. Both previous times I came away commenting how much of an admirer I was with the way they play defense. They challenge everything, never give up on a play, hustle after every loose ball, and perhaps most importantly, communicate and work together as a team. The Terriers boast the second best scoring defense in the NEC, allowing just 59.5 points per game. SFC also stands fifth in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 37.4%. St. Francis has also forced their opponents to commit 15 or more turnovers in five of the last seven games. SFC’s gritty defense will surely be tested on Saturday afternoon, as the Red Flash come to town standing second in the NEC in scoring, averaging 65.9 points per game.

ODDS & ENDS

St. Francis Brooklyn has recorded at least one made three pointer in 221 straight games. The last time the Terriers failed to convert a three was in a 2005 game against Lafayette. SFC is second in the NEC in three pointers made and three point field goal percentage. Sarah Benedetti leads the NEC individually with 56 made threes…A win on Saturday would give SFC their eighth overall and fifth conference win of the season, their most since finishing the 2008 campaign with a 10-20, 7-11 record under Brenda Milano…A win would give SFC just their 10th season of at least five wins in NEC play in program history…The Red Flash had started the same five players for the first 18 games of the season. The first change to the starting unit was made last Monday night when Rebecca Keegan replaced the injured Nickia Gibbs…Alexa Heyward recorded seven three’s on Monday night against Robert Morris, one shy of matching the program record. Her seven trifecta's were the most since Allison Daly’s eight against Robert Morris in the 2010 NEC Tournament semi-finals... Last year against SFC, Heyward led all scorers with 19 points.

LAST TIME OUT

In the 20th annual “Battle of Brooklyn,” the St. Francis-Brooklyn Terriers defeated their inter-borough rivals, LIU-Brooklyn, 69-58. The Terriers snapped a four year losing streak in the annual game. The last St. Francis win in the Battle of Brooklyn game came back in January 2009, with Kara Ayers being named MVP.

On this evening, the Terriers led wire to wire, leading by as many as 23 points in the first half. The Terriers were able to utilize a 21-2 run midway through the first half, holding the Blackbirds to just one field goal over a span of nine minutes, to pull away. The SFC lead would not go back under double-digits for the remainder of the contest. The reigning two-time NEC rookie of the week, Leah Fechko, was named the Battle of Brooklyn Most Valuable Player. Fechko netted a career high with 18 points and nine rebounds. Sarah Benedetti, Jessica Kaufman, and Eilidh Simpson also finished in double figures scoring for SFC.

As for the Red Flash, they managed to end a three game losing streak against their rivals from Moon Township, recording a 72-63 victory over Robert Morris on Monday night. Sophomore Alexa Heyward, who grew up just about 20 minutes from the Colonials campus, was on fire shooting the basketball. The Beaver Falls, PA native netted a career high 28 points, including five three pointers in the first half and seven overall for the game. The seven overall threes were one shy of a program single game record.

In a rare occurrence, Alli Williams was held scoreless through the game’s first 29:20 of regulation. In the second half, with the defense extending out to try and defend Heyward, it opened things up for Williams to do some damage. Williams scored all 21 of her points in the final 10:40. With the Red Flash holding on to a one point lead with less than three minutes to go, Williams would lead a 12-4 SFU run to clinch the victory. She would score 10 of the final 14 Red Flash points. In addition, the Altoona native would record her 13th double-double of the year, bringing down 11 rebounds to go with her 21 points. For the Colonials, Artemis Spanou would record another monster game with 21 points and 20 rebounds in the losing effort.

AROUND THE NEC

The St. Francis showdown in Brooklyn is one of two games on the NEC Saturday slate that features a pair of teams both at .500 or better. The other game is down in Emmitsburg, MD where the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers host the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Both teams sit at 5-3 in the conference standings, and are currently in a four team logjam for third place. This will be the lone meeting between the two schools in the regular season, putting the utmost importance on victory due to possible tiebreaker implications down the road.

On the other side of the borough, LIU-Brooklyn will host Robert Morris at noon in front of a national audience on ESPN3. At the moment, both schools are sitting on the outside looking in of the top eight in the NEC standings.

Elsewhere, the Bobcats will look to improve to 9-0 in conference play when they visit the Wagner Seahawks. With a win, the Bobcats would be the fifth team in the last 11 years to start a season 9-0 vs. the NEC. In the Garden State, the Monmouth Hawks will welcome in the Bryant Bulldogs to West Long Branch, and the FDU Knights will match up with the CCSU Blue Devils.  

Saturday’s action will mark the ninth game of the conference season, the halfway point of the 2013 NEC schedule. I’ll hand out some mid-season awards to go with the usual post-game recap of the SFU/SFC game here on the NEC WBB Road Trip Blog.