St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Welcomes Pittsburgh For Wednesday Night Matchup
1/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2006
GAME 15
ST. JOHN'S (12-2, 2-1) vs. PITTSBURGH (11-3, 2-1)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11, 2006 • 7:00 p.m.
CARNESECCA ARENA (6,008) • QUEENS, N.Y.
Riding the momentum of three-straight wins including its first-ever victory over nationally ranked Notre Dame, the St. John's University women's basketball team looks to remain unbeaten in Carnesecca Arena this season as it takes on Pittsburgh Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Red Storm, currently receiving votes in both national polls, won both its meetings with the Panthers last season and own a four-game winning streak in the series. Gametracker and live audio for the game are available at www.RedStormSports.com.
Noting the Red Storm
• St. John's won two conference games last week, including a dramatic 66-63 victory over then-No. 12/12 Notre Dame Wednesday and a 20-point victory at Georgetown on Saturday. The win over the Irish was the first in program history for the Red Storm, while the victory at Georgetown snapped a nine-game St. John's losing streak in the series.
• St. John's is currently receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls.
• With the wins, St. John's improved to 12-2 overall, 2-1 in the BIG EAST Conference.
• St. John's owns an undefeated 5-0 record in Carnesecca Arena this season and will look to remain perfect at home on Wednesday night.
• Angela Clark continues to lead St. John's in scoring with 14.6 points per game and had her eighth double-double of the season against Georgetown (Jan. 7) with 14 points and 16 rebounds. The junior forward has had an impressive start to her junior campaign, scoring in double figures in 12 of the Red Storm's first 14 games. Over her last three games against Georgetown (Jan. 7), Notre Dame (Jan. 4) and Montana State (Dec. 30), Clark is averaging 16.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. For her efforts in the Red Storm's two conference contests last week, she was named to the BIG EAST's Weekly Honor Roll for the second time this season.
• The junior duo of Clark and former Copiague High School teammate Kia Wright continues to lead the Red Storm. The pair leads three St. John's players who average in double figures for scoring, as Wright is right behind Clark with 12.6 points per game. Wright has scored at least 10 points in 12 of the Red Storm's 14 games this year, and was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection.
• Senior Danielle Chambers is the third Red Storm player in double figures with 10.6 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game. She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Roger and Mildred White Invitational (Dec. 2-3) and is also leading the team in minutes played (30.3 per game).
• St. John's leads the all-time series with Pittsburgh, 28-14, and has had recent success against the Panthers as the Red Storm has been victorious in its last four meetings with Pittsburgh. The last Pitt win in the series was on Jan. 18, 2003 - a 75-51 win in Pittsburgh.
• Following Wednesday's home contest, the Red Storm travels to Storrs, Conn., to take on perennial conference powerhouse Connecticut.
QUOTING KBA
• Head coach Kim Barnes Arico participated in Jan. 9's BIG EAST Women's Basketball Teleconference with local and national media. Here are quotes from her from that conference call:
On the two victories over Notre Dame and Georgetown last week:
"The past week was a great week for our program. We won two games against two teams that we had previously not beaten in a long time or ever. The team really came together and played well. From our standpoint though, that is over now and we have to move forward. Our league is so tough and we now have to get ready for Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. We are happy though with the way that we played this past week."
On the play of forward Angela Clark:
"Angela is doing a tremendous job for us this year. One of her goals coming into her junior year was to be a better performer in big games and against tough competition. In the past, she has dominated in non-conference games but once the BIG EAST came along she got a little bit tighter. This year, she's done a great job for us against quality opponents. She's been able to score and rebound against some of the best teams in the country. She's definitely been a go-to player for us this year."
On conference play so far this season:
"The league is just so good. I really believe that any team on any night can win a game. That's why we really try not to look ahead. If you start looking at the teams in our league and look five or six games into the future, it gets too crazy because on any given night anybody in this league can win. It can get overwhelming, which is why you prepare for one game at a time."
100 GAMES LATER
• Fourth-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico coached her 100th game with the Red Storm on Jan. 7 against Georgetown. With the 74-54 victory, she evened her overall record at St. John's to 50-50.
FIRST SEVEN DAYS OF 2006 - A WEEK OF FIRSTS
• St. John's opened the new year with a bang, earning two BIG EAST wins during the first seven days of January.
• When St. John's upended 12th-ranked Notre Dame on Jan. 4 in Carnesecca Arena, it was not only the first win over the Irish for head coach Kim Barnes Arico, but also for the St. John's program. After losing the first 15 meetings between the schools, the Red Storm came away with a 66-63 upset to remain unbeaten (5-0) at home.
• The game also marked the first time in the history of the series that St. John's scored more than 65 points and Notre Dame scored less than 65.
• It was St. John's first win over a ranked opponent this season, and the first in Carnesecca Arena since Coach Barnes Arico took over the program in 2002.
• In its very next game, the Red Storm snapped another streak as it defeated Georgetown on Jan. 7, 74-54, for the first time in 10 tries. It was also Barnes Arico's first-career victory over the Hoyas.
BALANCED ATTACK
• In eight of the Red Storm's 14 games this year, at least four players have reached double figures.
• Five different players have been a game's high scorer (Greeba Barlow, Chambers, Clark, Tara Walker and Wright).
SEEING DOUBLE
• Junior Angela Clark has had early success posting double-doubles. Her total of eight is currently a team-best and the second-best total in the BIG EAST. For her three-year career, Clark has notched 27 double-doubles. The 6-1 playmaker is averaging 14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
• Only DePaul's Khara Smith has a better total in the conference, as she has posted 11.
• Here is a breakdown of BIG EAST leaders through games as of Jan. 9, 2006:
Name, School - Double-Doubles 1. Khara Smith, DePaul - 11 2. Angela Clark, St. John's - 8 3. Vaida Sipaviciute, Syracuse - 5 4. Tracy Harbut, Syracuse - 4 Gayle Nwafili, Providence - 4 Barbara Turner, Connecticut - 4 7. Danielle Chambers, St. John's - 3 Jazz Covington, Louisville - 3 Yelena Leuchanka, West Virginia - 3 Ezria Parsons, South Florida - 3 Missy Taylor, Louisville - 3 Marcedes Walker, Pittsburgh - 3 Katrina Wheeler, Georgetown - 3
PROTECTING THE HOUSE
• Head coach Kim Barnes Arico has brought home court advantage back to Carnesecca Arena. So far this year, the Red Storm is undefeated on its home court with a 5-0 record. Last season, St. John's posted a winning season at home (7-4) for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
• St. John's claimed its first tournament title of the season, defeating Wake Forest (70-38) and Northwestern (95-53) at the Roger and Mildred White Invitational on Dec. 2-3.
• Angela Clark was the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while Danielle Chambers was named to the All-Tournament team.
• For the two games, St. John's out-scored its opponents, 82.5-45.5.
• In its next tournament (Surf `N Slam Holiday Classic hosted by San Diego), St. John's faced it toughest competition of the year in No. 2/2 Duke (Dec. 28). After falling to the Blue Devils, the Red Storm bounced back with a victory over Montana State (Dec. 30) in the consolation game.
• For her 17.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg over the two Surf `N Slam games, Angela Clark was named to the all-tournament team and was recognized in the BIG EAST's weekly honor roll on Jan. 2.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
• With a 12-2 record and a victory over then-No. 12 Notre Dame, the Red Storm is receiving 15 votes in the most recent Associated Press Top 25 poll and one vote in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
• After getting off to a 7-0 start to the 2005-06 season, the St. John's women's basketball team received votes in the Dec. 6 Associated Press national women's basketball poll. After moving its non-conference win streak to 20 games with victories over Wake Forest (Dec. 2) and Northwestern (Dec. 3), St. John's suffered a loss at Marquette (Dec. 6). After bouncing back with victories over Hofstra (Dec. 11) and Stony Brook (Dec. 17) the Red Storm again garnered votes in the Dec. 26 AP Poll.
• It is the second year in a row that the Red Storm has received votes in a national poll, as St. John's garnered votes last season after beginning the year with an 11-0 record.
EARLY FORECAST
• Three exciting freshmen join the Red Storm for the 2005-06 season. Rookie Monique McLean has been impressive in her first season, as she averages 17.4 minutes per game and is fifth on the team in scoring with 8.1 points per game. Against Wake Forest on Dec. 2, the versatile guard drained three 3-pointers en route to a career-high 15 points. She recently put together a three-game double figure scoring streak, as she netted 11 points against No. 2/2 Duke (Dec. 28) and Montana State (Dec. 30) then followed up with 13 points on Jan. 4 vs. Notre Dame.
• The other two members of the Red Storm's freshmen class, Lisa Claxton and Angel Tate have also seen playing time. Claxton played a career-high 20 minutes in the Storm's Dec. 30 victory over Montana State and has been a consistent playmaker, while Tate pulled down her first career rebound on Nov. 20 vs. Army. Both rookies scored their first career points on Nov. 23 vs. Monmouth.
LOCAL TIES
• One of head coach Kim Barnes Arico's goals when taking over the Red Storm program was to keep the top players from New York close to home at St. John's. Three seasons later, her philosophy continues, as six out of 11 players on the roster are from the Empire State.
• High school teammates Angela Clark and Kia Wright hail from Copiague, Long Island, while freshman Lisa Claxton is from Hempstead, Long Island. Seniors Mercedes Dukes and Danielle Chambers are from the Bronx and Brooklyn, respectively, while senior Dana Petersen is a Staten Island native.
• Born in Mastic Beach, N.Y., Barnes Arico is also a native New Yorker and has coached in or near the state during her entire career. She has moved up the coaching ranks from New Jersey's Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison and NJIT and out to Long Island at Adelphi University before making the move to Queens to take the reins of St. John's.
EXPERIENCE IS BACK
• St. John's has five players returning who averaged at least 20 minutes from last year's squad. At the top of the extremely deep roster is Kia Wright and Angela Clark. Wright was a second-team All-BIG EAST selection and led the team in scoring, while Clark registered more double-doubles than any other Red Storm player.
• The Red Storm boasts five seniors on its roster: Greeba Barlow, Danielle Chambers, Mercedes Dukes, Dana Petersen and Tara Walker. Barlow, Chambers and Walker all spent time in the starting line-up last season, while Dukes saw key minutes in a reserve role and Petersen is the only player to have been on the team all three seasons of Barnes Arico's tenure at St. Johns.
MORE FAMILIAR FACES
• Now entering her fourth year at St. John's, head coach Kim Barnes Arico has put together a staff that is more than familiar with her coaching.
• Assistant coach Shannon Farley first played for, then coached under Barnes Arico at Adelphi University on Long Island before moving with her to St. John's. Director of Basketball Operations Jackie Smith has been with Barnes Arico from the beginning, as she begins her fourth season at St. John's as well.
• Assistant coach Jonath Nicholas begins his second season on the Red Storm sidelines this year, while assistant coach Joe Tartamella returns in a full-time role after serving as a graduate assistant in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
• The Panthers have an overall record of 11-3 (2-1 BIG EAST) defeating South Florida in its last outing on Jan. 8, 66-64. Mallorie Winn scored 21 points in that game, while Marcedes Walker added 19.
• Walker is Pittsburgh's leading scorer with 17.2 points per game, followed by Winn (16.4 ppg) and Xenia Stewart (10.5 ppg).
• St. John's leads the all-time series with Pittsburgh, 28-14, and has had recent success against the Panthers as the Red Storm has been victorious in its last four meetings with Pittsburgh. The last Pitt win in the series was on Jan. 18, 2003 - a 75-51 win in Pittsburgh.
• Pittsburgh's head coach is Agnus Beranato. She is in her third season with the Panthers and has a 30-38 record at Pittsburgh.
UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's home contest, the Red Storm travels to Storrs, Conn., to take on perennial conference powerhouse Connecticut.
PRESEASON NOTEBOOK
St. John's To Host Two Home Games At Madison Square Garden For First Time
• For the first time in school history, the Red Storm women's basketball team will host two regular-season BIG EAST games at Madison Square Garden. St. John's can be seen at the World's Most Famous Arena on Jan. 21 against Villanova and on Jan. 29 against West Virginia.
Storm Picked To Finish Eighth In New-Look BIG EAST
• St. John's was picked to finish eighth in the new-look, expanded BIG EAST as the league held its annual BIG EAST Women's Basketball Media Day on Oct. 27.
• Rutgers was chosen the preseason favorite, followed by Connecticut and Notre Dame. DePaul and Villanova rounded out the top five.
BIGGER Is Better
• This season, the BIG EAST Conference expanded to 16 teams for women's basketball, making it the largest conference in the nation. New for 2005-06 are Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida. Twelve teams will qualify for the BIG EAST Championships, held March 4-7 at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conn.
Wright Named To The Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
• Junior guard Kia Wright was named to the preseason all-conference team, the league announced on Oct. 27. The Copiague, N.Y., native returns after a breakout first year in a Red Storm jersey. One of the most dynamic guards in the league, Wright was a second team All-BIG EAST selection in 2004-05 and led the Red Storm in scoring with 14.8 points per game while adding 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Taffner Field House, New Home Of St. John's Basketball
• St. John's University opened the doors of Taffner Field House in September 2005. At approximately 43,000 square feet, the $16 million Taffner Field House includes four full size basketball courts and dedicated locker rooms for both student recreation and men's and women's basketball. It contains new offices and meeting rooms for the men's and women's basketball staffs, as well as weight training and medical training rooms. The facility also houses office and meeting space for Recreation and Intramural Sports.
EMAIL STRAIGHT TO YOU
• If you would like the latest St. John's women's basketball news emailed to you directly as soon as it breaks, email women's basketball contact Amy Mulligan at mulligaa@stjohns.edu with "Basketball Email" as the subject and you will receive every update distributed on the team.
