St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Opens WNIT on Friday against Sacred Heart
3/16/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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QUEENS, N.Y. - For the 10th-consecutive season, the St. John's women's basketball team earned a bid to a postseason tournament. In the midst of a fourth-straight 20-win season, the Red Storm earned a bid to the WNIT, kicking off postseason play against Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. on Friday at Carnesecca Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Jonathan Yardley and Sky Lindsay on the call.
NEWS & NOTES
The 2016-17 season marks the Red Storm's fifth trip to the WNIT in program history with the team's last appearance coming in 2015. That season, the Johnnies advanced to the Round of 16, defeating Army and Fordham before eventually falling to Villanova. The Red Storm also won a pair of games in the WNIT in 2009 (Harvard and Hartford) and 2008 (Iona and Boston College) and picked up a victory in 2005 (Delaware) during the program's previous appearances in the WNIT.
With a fourth-consecutive 20-win season, St. John's is in the midst of one of the best four-year stretches in program history. After an 18-win season in Joe Tartamella's first year as Head Coach, the Red Storm has racked up 89 wins over the last four seasons. With a win on Friday, the Johnnies would match the four-year stretches from 2008-09 to 2011-12 and 1975-76 to 1978-79 for the second-most wins in a four-year span in program history. From 1980-81 to 1983-84, the Red Storm earned 102 victories under head coach Don Perrelli.
The winner of Friday's game between St. John's and Sacred Heart will take on the winner of the Harvard/New Hampshire match-up.
SCOUTING SACRED HEART
Sacred Heart enters the WNIT with an overall record of 17-14. The Pioneers lost their last outing to Bryant in the NEC semifinals and are 6-4 in their last 10 contests.
Sacred Heart has been even with opponents in terms of score this season as the Pioneers are scoring and allowing 63.4 points per game.
The Pioneers are led by the trio of Hannah Kimmel, Katherine Haines and Adaysha Williams, who are all scoring in double figures. Kimmel's 15.3 points per game lead the way, while Haines is averaging 13.0 and Williams adds 11.2 Haines is also the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 8.7 boards per game.
An effective team from behind the arc, Shelby Hickey is the squad's leading three-point shooter, connecting on 41.3 percent of her tries from behind the arc.
ST. JOHN'S VS. SACRED HEART - THE SERIES
The Red Storm and Pioneers have met on two occasions in the history of the two programs. St. John's has come out victorious in both meetings.
The last time these teams met, Akina Wellere scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor. The Chicago, Ill., native hit three of her seven attempts from behind the arc and knocked down four of her five tries from the charity stripe. Aaliyah Lewis also dished out six assists and added four points, four rebounds and four steals against the Pioneers back in 2015.
