Women's Basketball Looks for Fourth Straight Win Facing Valley Forge

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team (10-7) will go for their season-best fourth straight win when they host Valley Forge on Saturday as the first half of a doubleheader with the men's team. Tip time for the women's game is at 5:00 p.m.

Game Information

Opponent: Valley Forge (3-13)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 31  • 5:00 p.m.
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Arena: The Hill Center
Coverage:  Live stats | Video | Game Program

Quick Links

St. Joseph's (Bklyn): Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Misc. Stats
Valley Forge: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Storylines

• The game is the third game in the all-time series, with the Lady Bears earning the previous two victories. 
• St. Joseph's is searching for their fourth straight win, the longest of the season. The Lady Bears last won four in a row in December 2013.
• Samantha Retas leads three Lady Bears averaging double figures this season. She scores 13.6 points per game, and 13.6 rebounds per contest. She is coming off her tenth double-double of the season, tallying 18 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Briarcliffe.
• Taylor Raccuglia has had an explosive offensive month in January. The senior has averaged 18.3 points per game in the month, With the performance last week (26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists over two games last week), she was named both the AD3I and USCAA Player of the Week.
• Valley Forge is looking to avoid a three-game losing streak.
• Mikala Brinson leads the Patriots with both 14.3 points per contest and 3.9 assists per game. The sophomore has had three games of 25+ points or more, including a 28-point performance.

Series History

St. Joseph's holds a 2-0 lead in the all-time series, with the Lady Bears earning their last victory in 2014.

Last Meeting

The Lady Bears had four players score in double figures as they defeated Valley Forge, 61-44, on January 24th, 2014.

Taylor Raccuglia scored a team-high 16 points while adding three steals and three blocks. Kelly McNamee poured in 14 points while Megan Moran added 12 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists.

Lady Bear Probable Starters

• Samantha Retas (F): Retas leads the Lady Bears with 13.6 ppg, along with 13.6 rpg, which ranks second in the HVIAC and seventh in NCAA Division III. With 10 double-doubles, she is ranked second in the conference.
• Taylor Raccuglia (F): Raccuglia is third on the team with 12.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and second on the team dishing off 3.9 apg. The senior averaged 18.3 points per game in the month of January. She was named the USCAA and AD3I Player of the Week by averaging 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists over two games last week.
• Destiny Marino (G): Marino ranks second on the Lady Bears with 12.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.4 and is second in the HVIAC with 46.6% shooting. She has now scored double figures in 15 consecutive contests. She earned HVIAC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season, tallying 17.5 points, 7.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds over two games.
• Samantha Simon (G): Simon scores 5.0 points per game, along with 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
• Kristen Ferrigno (F): The sophmore forward averages 3.2 ppg to go along with 2.9 rpg. She scored a career high eight points against Briarcliffe. Ferrigno is tied for second on the team with a 75.0 free throw percentage, hitting 15 for 20 from the line.

The Lady Bear Facts

St. Joseph's is led by senior Samantha Retas, who leads the team with an average of 13.6 points per game and is second in the HVIAC with 13.6 rebounds per contest. The forward has notched ten double-doubles this season, which is second most in the HVIAC.

Destiny Marino is second on the Lady Bears with 12.9 points per game, second on the team with 7.5 rebounds per game, and is tied for first place in the conference with 4.4 assists per contest. The freshman is also second in the HVIAC with 46.6% shooting. She has now scored double figures in 15 straight games, averaging 13.6 points per contest during the streak.

Senior Taylor Raccuglia is currently is third on the team averaging 12.2 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per contest and second on the team with 3.9 assists per game, putting herself fifth in the HVIAC.

Lady Bears Last Time Out

Every active Lady Bear player got on the scoreboard as the Lady Bears defeated Medgar Evers College, 78-45, Wednesday night at the Hill Center.

Destiny Marino scored a team-high 16 points, nine rebounds and dished six assists. Taylor Raccuglia recorded her third double-double on the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 boards, while Samantha Retas added 14 points and eight rebounds.

On the Boards

Senior Samantha Retas is one of the best rebounders in all of Division III. The Lady Bears' all-time leader in boards tops the HVIAC and is second in the country with 11.0 defensive rebounds per game. With her 13.6 total rebounds per game, she ranks seventh in Division III.

Raccuglia and Marino Earn USCAA, AD3I and HVIAC Accolades

Taylor Raccuglia averaged 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists over two games last week and receives USCAA and AD3I honors for the second time in her career.

Destiny Marino averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds to collect her third HVIAC Rookie of the Week honor this season.

Patriot Games

The University of Valley Forge relies on their youth, paced by five sophomores and four freshmen and having no seniors on the team. The Patriots are led on the offensive side by sophomore Mikela Brinson, who averages a team-high 14.3 points per game along with 3.9 assists per contest.

On the rebounding end, sophomore Ariene Ohimor ranks first on the team with 11.0 boards per contest, which ranks in the top 10 in the NCCAA also chips in with 5.8 points. Freshman Bailey Mayforth is second on the team with both 9.8 points per game and 6.9 boards.

Valley Forge Last Time Out

The Patriots faltered late in the second half as they dropped a 61-54 decision to Penn State-Schuylkill last Thursday. Mikala Brinson tallied a game-high 26 points, including five three-pointers in a losing cause. Ariene Ohimor had a game-high 18 rebounds to go along with eight points, while Amanda McGinness (nine points, 13 rebounds)was a point shy of a double-double.

Next Up for the Lady Bears – Berkeley (N.Y.)

The Lady Bears will open the month of February with a HVIAC showdown with first-place Berkeley (N.Y.) at the Hill Center. Tip time for the women's game is at 7:00 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com.