St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Hosts Annual Holiday Tournament This Weekend
12/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's basketball team will host its annual Chartwells Holiday Classic Saturday and Sunday, welcoming Texas-Arlington, Virginia Tech and UAB to Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm will open tournament play at 1 p.m. on Saturday when it faces UTA. Virginia Tech and UAB will tip off at 3 p.m. On Sunday, the consolation game will be held at noon and the championship game will take place at 2 p.m.
• The Red Storm is off to a 9-1 start this season, and received 18 points in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll. STJ has received votes in the AP Poll every week it has been released during the regular season. The Red Storm re-entered the Coaches Poll this week and received a season-high 15 points, tying Gonzaga to rank 33rd nationally.
• RedStormSports.com will stream all tournament games live through StormTracker All-Access. The contests will have a live video and audio broadcast, which will feature a multi-camera setup. Fans can access the feature by going to RedStormSports.com, clicking on the All-Access button and signing up for the service. The All-Access subscription is $9.95 a month or $79.95 for the year. There will also be live stats for all games that can be accessed for free.
History Lesson
The Mavericks and Red Storm meet for the second time in history on Saturday. STJ won the initial meeting, a 75-71 overtime victory on Nov. 30, 2002, at the Pepperdine Thanksgiving Classic. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series with STJ, 4-2, and UAB leads the series with the Red Storm, 1-0.
Scouting The Mavericks
Texas-Arlington has posted a 4-5 slate this season and has split its last four games. The Mavericks are coming off a 67-60 overtime loss to Arkansas State on Dec. 15. Three players are averaging double figures in scoring for UTA. Meghan Nelson is averaging a team-high 15.6 points per game and a team-best field goal percentage of 47.7. Shalyn Martin is second in scoring, averaging 12.3 points, and is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 8.1 per contest. Tamara Simmons is scoring 12.2 points per game to rank as the third-highest scorer on the team.
Scouting The Blazers
UAB enters the contest with a 4-5 slate and is riding a two-game winning streak. The Blazers have a 4-2 slate at home and a 0-3 mark on the road. Two players are averaging double figures in scoring. Jala Harris is pacing the team, averaging 13.2 points. Tamika Dukes is the second-leading scorer, averaging 12.2 points, and is leading the way in rebounding, grabbing 7.1 per game.
Scouting The Hokies
Virginia Tech has won four of its last five games for a 6-3 mark this season. The Hokies have posted a 5-1 record at home and a 1-2 slate on the road. Three players are averaging 10 or more points per game. Lindsay Biggs paces the team with 11.3 points per game. Alyssa Fenyn is second in scoring, averaging 10.2 points, while Utahya Drye is third with 10.0 points per game. Drye is leading the team in rebounding, grabbing 6.7 per contest.
