Barclays Center Game, California Trip Highlight 2012-13 Lady Bears Basketball Schedule

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – After qualifying for the first NCAA Tournament in school history, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team will play a game in the brand new Barclays Center and make a trip to California as the 2012-13 schedule was released today by athletic director and head women's basketball coach Frank P. Carbone.

The Lady Bears will host Albertus Magnus College on Saturday, January 5th in a day-night doubleheader at the Barclays Center, which recently opened its doors just walking distance from the St. Joseph's College campus and will serve home to the Brooklyn Nets NBA franchise.  Fans will be able to purchase tickets through the athletic department at a discounted price and will include admission to Nets vs. Sacramento Kings in the nightcap.

Ending last season to top-ranked Amherst College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, St. Joseph's will be tested right out of the gates opening their season for the second straight year at the New York University Tip-Off Tournament. Carbone's Lady Bears will face his alma mater and host Violets in an opening round marquee matchup on Friday, November 16. Waiting in the wings in the next round are fellow NCAA Tournament qualifiers and Empire 8 champions Hartwick College or SUNY New Paltz.

St. Joseph's will open their home slate of 11 games at Brooklyn Technical High School against USCAA rivals Briarcliffe College on Wednesday, November 21st, the No. 3 seed in last year's USCAA National Tournament and the first of three tournament participants featured on the home schedule.

Circled on the first half of the schedule is the sibling rivalry with St. Joseph's College (Long Island). The annual "East vs. West" tripleheader will make its way to the Danzi Center on Friday, December 7th. The Lady Bears will seek their first win in four tries over the Golden Eagles since finding victory in Patchogue in 2008.

St. Joseph's will head to the west coast for the fourth time in the last five years, travelling to Southern California over Christmas break to square off against Association of Division III Independent foes University of California at Santa Cruz and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on December 28-29.

The Lady Bears will say "Hello Brooklyn" after returning from the left coast, starting the new year with all but two games in the home borough. The January schedule features five home games, the game at the Barclays Center and a tilt against borough rivals Brooklyn College (January 22) sandwiched around a trip to Washington, D.C. to face AD3I foes Trinity College (January 20).

USCAA rivals Apprentice School, the No. 2 seed from last year's tournament, will visit on January 12th as the marquee game of a Saturday twinbill.  Berkeley College rounds out the USCAA participants and will kick off St. Joseph's HVWAC league schedule on Saturday, January 26th. Pine Manor from Massachusetts concludes the home game slate for a senior night game on Saturday, February 9th.

All 11 St. Joseph's College home games will feature live stats and video broadcasted via the athletic department website, www.SJCBears.com, with Sitesh Shah calling the play-by-play.

The College of New Rochelle will play host to the HVWAC Tournament on February 16-17, with St. Joseph's seeking its fifth league title and first since 2010.

The Lady Bears will also have their eyes set on a repeat appearance at the NCAA Tournament, with first round action on March 1-2 or their eighth appearance in the USCAA National Championships, hosted by Penn State Fayette on February 26-March 2.

2012-13 Lady Bears Basketball Schedule (Web)
2012-13 Lady Bears Basketball Schedule (PDF)