St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Women's Basketball Releases 2008-09 Schedule
9/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sept. 3, 2008
QUEENS, N.Y. - Perennial powerhouse Baylor, local rivals LIU, Manhattan and Stony Brook, home games with Connecticut, Rutgers and Syracuse, a holiday tournament at Carnesecca Arena and a record-tying two games played at Madison Square Garden highlight the 2008-09 St. John's women's basketball schedule.
The BIG EAST released the schedule for its 16 member schools, which included all opponents and dates. St. John's game times and television information will be released at a later date and are subject to change.
"I believe we have one of the toughest schedules in the country, playing in the BIG EAST Conference and with our strong non-conference schedule," said head coach Kim Barnes Arico. "It will challenge us throughout the season and our players will gain a lot of experience from it.
"We are excited to host a tournament at home in Carnesecca Arena, and we have some great teams in Boston College, Houston and Buffalo participating in the St. John's Holiday Invitational. I am truly excited that we are once again going to be playing at Madison Square Garden. After a year absence, we will play two games at `The World's Most Famous Arena.' This is very exciting for us and especially for the team since some of our players are from the Tri-State area."
The 2008-09 edition of the women's basketball team will be looking to build on its success from a year ago, which included its fifth-straight BIG EAST Championship appearance and a berth to the postseason WNIT. The team returns eight letterwinners and three starters and welcomes three talented freshmen. Senior Monique McLean, the team's leading scorer with 14.7 points per game, and sophomore Sky Lindsay (8.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg), a 2008 BIG EAST all-freshman team selection, lead the cast of returning players.
The Red Storm opens the season at newly renovated Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 14 when it welcomes Northeastern. The two teams have not faced each other since Dec. 28, 1996, when St. John's won its sixth-straight game and improved its series record to 12-2 over the Huskies. The Red Storm will hit the road for two contests, traveling to Dartmouth on Nov. 18 and Manhattan on Nov. 22. St. John's won last year's meeting, 74-31, over the Big Green, who later clinched a WNIT berth. The meeting with the Jaspers is the first since 1998, with STJ holding a perfect 10-0 record all-time.
In late November, St. John's returns to the friendly confines of Carnesecca Arena for four-straight games. The Red Storm opens the homestand hosting in-state rivals Army (Nov. 25) and Stony Brook (Nov. 28), then welcomes Vermont on Nov. 30 and Monmouth on Dec. 3. STJ won last year's meetings with Army, 72-58, and Monmouth, 71-48, but lost to Vermont, 66-48, in the championship game of the TD Banknorth Classic.
The Red Storm leaves the Northeast when it travels to Waco, Texas, to face Baylor on Dec. 6. The Lady Bears made an appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 25-7 record and a No. 12/17 final ranking. STJ will return to New York City on Dec. 13 and travel to Brooklyn to face local foe LIU.
Howard makes its first trip to Carnesecca Arena since 1989 when it faces the Red Storm on Dec. 16. St. John's holds the series lead, 4-1, and won the last meeting, 89-57, on Nov. 28, 2003, at the Rhode Island Tournament. The Red Storm welcomes Houston, Buffalo and 2008 WNIT opponent Boston College for the St. John's Holiday Invitational from Dec. 20-21, and STJ will open play facing Buffalo. The team will conclude non-conference action on the road at Boston University on Dec. 30.
The Red Storm opens BIG EAST play at "The World's Most Famous Arena" when it hosts Providence on Jan. 3 in a doubleheader with the men's team. St. John's will take its first league road trip when it travels to face the University of South Florida on Jan. 10. The team returns home to Carnesecca Arena to face Georgetown on Jan. 13, before playing three-straight 2008 NCAA Tournament opponents. The Red Storm will face Notre Dame on Jan. 17 in Notre Dame, Ind., and West Virginia on Jan. 24 in Morgantown, W.Va., before returning to Queens to welcome DePaul for a Tuesday meeting on Jan. 27.
Two-consecutive road contests ensue for St. John's, before it hosts a three-game homestand, its longest of the season for conference play. The team plays Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., on Feb. 1 and travels to face Villanova on Feb. 4. The Red Storm will host its final game at Madison Square Garden when it welcomes Cincinnati on Feb. 8. The team will return to Carnesecca Arena to host 2008 Final Four participant Connecticut on Feb. 11 and NCAA Tournament team Syracuse on Feb. 14.
St. John's leaves the state of New York for two road games, when it travels to face Louisville on Feb. 17 and Marquette on Feb. 21. The team will return to Carnesecca Arena to host Seton Hall on Feb. 25 and will close out its home schedule hosting Rutgers on Feb. 28. The Red Storm will conclude the regular season on the road when it faces its second-straight 2008 NCAA tournament team in Pittsburgh on March 2.
The BIG EAST Championship will feature all 16 teams this season in a five-day event that will take place March 6-10 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
