Women's Basketball Makes Hill Center Debut Against Old Westbury on Saturday

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team (3-2) will play the inaugural game in The Hill Center when they face future Skyline Conference foe SUNY College at Old Westbury on Saturday, December 6th. Tip off is at 6:00 p.m. First 100 fans in attendance will receive a special commemorative souvenir.

Game Information  

Opponent: SUNY College at Old Westbury (3-3, 0-0 Skyline)

Date/Time: Saturday, December 6 • 6:00 p.m.

Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Arena: The Hill Center (Directions)

Coverage: Live stats | Video | Game Program
Play-by-Play: Sitesh Shah (@sswfan)

Quick Links

St. Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Misc. Stats
Old Westbury:  Roster| Schedule | Statistics

Storylines

• St. Joseph's has won the last two meetings between the two teams, winning in both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. A win today would level the season series at 10-all.
• Frank P. Carbone's first game as a collegiate head coach was against Old Westbury in November 2007. Now in his 18th season, he holds a 257-236 record playing the first game on the court that bears his name.
• Samantha Retas leads the Lady Bears averaging 13.0 points and 13.0 rebounds and owns three double-doubles this season.
• Old Westbury is looking for their third straight victory on the season, last defeating Medgar Evers and York (N.Y.).
• The Panthers have a high-octane offense, currently leading the Skyline Conference with 77.3 points per game.

Series History

Both programs have faced each other 19 times before, with Old Westbury owning a slight 10-9 lead in the series since 1995.

Last Meeting

In their last meeting, St. Joseph's edged Old Westbury, 77-75, in overtime on December 7, 2013. Kelly McNamee led with a career-high 22 points, while Samantha Retas added a double-double (15 points, 15 rebounds).

The Lady Bear Facts

Senior Samantha Retas leads the Lady Bears with an average of 13.2 points per game and leads the HVIAC in rebounds per game with 13.0 per contest. She is now fourth on the active leaders list in all of Division III averaging 10.9 boards throughout her career.

For her play on the court last week, Retas was awarded the Association of Division III Independent (AD3I) Player of the Week. This is the first time she has won the honor this season, and the sixth in her career.

Second in scoring on the team is sophomore Jamilynn McGowan, who averages 11.4 points per game. Through just five games, she has already doubled her scoring from her freshman campaign.

Freshman Destiny Marino leads the team with 4.2 assists per game and has added 8.8 points per contest, good for third on St. Joseph's.

Lady Bears Last Time Out

An 21-3 early second half run proved to be too much as Mount Saint Vincent topped St. Joseph's, 79-50, on Thursday night.

Samantha Retas notched her third double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Destiny Marino added 10 points, while Taylor Raccuglia netted six points and five boards in a losing effort.

Controlling the Glass

Through the first five games, the Lady Bears continue to dominate the rebounding front. The team leads all of NCAA Division III with 38 defensive rebounds per game.

Coming Full Circle

In his very first game as a collegiate head coach in November 2007, Frank P. Carbone faced Old Westbury on the road. Since that 62-40 defeat, Carbone has compiled a 257-235—now in his 18th season—and playing the first game in The Hill Center on the court that bears his name. 

On the Prowl

The Panthers are led by Jasmine Robinson, who leads the team and third in the Skyline Conference with 17.0 points per game. She also is very active on the defensive end, topping the conference with 4.2 steals per game.

Clarissa Gallagher has netted 11.5 points per game, second on the team, to go along with 3.5 assists per contest. Crystal Barnes averages close to a double-double per game, with 10.5 points per game and 9.5 boards.

Old Westbury Last Time Out

Old Westbury had four players in double figures as they beat York (N.Y.), 80-55, on Wednesday night. Jasmine Robinson led the offensive charge, topping all scorers with 19 points. Crystal Barnes tallied a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. 

Next Up for the Lady Bears – St. Joseph's (LI) – Hill Center Grand Opening

The Lady Bears will take a one-and-a-half week break for finals and will return to action on Thursday, December 18th for the most anticipated game of the season against sibling and future Skyline Conference rivals St. Joseph's (Long Island) as part of the annual East vs. West doubleheader.

You don't want to miss this game as it will be the official grand opening of The Hill Center. The women tip-off the doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. with the men at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available on SJCBears.com.