Women's Basketball Seeks Fifth Straight Win and First Place in Conference Hosting Berkeley

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team (11-7, 2-0 HVIAC) will look to extend their winning streak to five games when they host Berkeley (N.Y.) in a battle of the top two teams in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Tuesday night at The Hill Center. Tip time for the game is at 8:15 p.m.

Game Information

Opponent: Berkeley (N.Y.) (11-6, 3-0 HVIAC)
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 3rd • 8:15 p.m.
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Arena: The Hill Center • Frank P. Carbone Court
Coverage:  Live stats | Video | Game Program

Quick Links

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

Storylines

• The Lady Bears are looking to give Berkeley their first loss in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) and put them in first place in the conference.
• The game is the eighth game in the all-time series, with the Lady Bears winning six of the previous seven matchups.
• These two teams have been two of the best teams in the HVIAC for the last few seasons. They have faced off in the HVIAC semifinals the last two seasons, with St. Joseph's emerging victorious over the Knights both times.
• St. Joseph's is searching for their fifth straight win, the longest streak in two season. The Lady Bears last won five in a row in February 2013, when they rattled off five to close the season as HVWAC champions.
• Samantha Retas leads three Lady Bears averaging double figures this season. She scores 13.6 points per game, and 13.3 rebounds per contest, leading the team in both categories. The senior has 10 double-doubles on the season, which ranks second in the HVIAC.
• Freshman Destiny Marino has had a streak of 16 consecutive games scoring in double figures, averaging 13.1 points per game on the season. She also is tied for first place in the conference with 4.4 assists per contest.
• Berkeley looks to snap a season-worst four game losing streak this season. Their streak includes losses to Briarcliffe and The Apprentice School.
• The Knights are relentless on defense, leading the conference with 16.1 steals per contest. They have three players in the HVIAC top-10 for steals per game, including top-ranked Champagne Hazel (4.1) and Janay Thomas (3.6) who is second.
• Champagne Hazel is one of the best newcomers in the HVIAC this season, leading the team with 17.3 points per game which ranks fourth in the conference while also topping the HVIAC with 14.8 boards per contest. She has won HVIAC Player of the Week once and Rookie of the Week a season-best four times.

Series History

St. Joseph's owns the series edge against Berkeley, going 6-1, which dates back to January 29, 2011.

Last Meeting

The Lady Bears got a career-high effort from senior Kelly McNamee along with double-doubles from juniors Taylor Raccuglia and Samantha Retas as they upset the No. 1-ranked Knights, 73-59, in the semifinals of the HVIAC Tournament last February.

McNamee tallied 23 points, including shooting 10-for-12 from the charity stripe to lead the team. Raccuglia netted 15 points and 11 rebounds, while adding a career-high-tying seven assists and three blocks to her stat line. Retas finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds along with three blocks.

Lady Bear Probable Starters

• Samantha Retas (F): Retas leads the Lady Bears with 13.6 ppg, along with 13.3 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, 7.3 rpg, and second on the team dishing off 3.8 apg. The senior averaged 15.7 points per game in the month of January.
• Destiny Marino (G): Marino ranks second on the Lady Bears with 13.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and is tied for first in the HVIAC with 4.4 apg and 47.6% shooting. She has now scored double figures in 15 consecutive contests. She earned HVIAC Rookie of the Week three times this season.
• Brittany Cervino (G): She averages 6.5 ppg along with 2.2 rpg. Cervino is coming off an 11-point performance in the win over Valley Forge. The junior leads the team shooting 78.9% from the charity stripe.
• Kristen Ferrigno (F): The sophmore forward averages 3.3 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 13.3 rebounds per contest. The forward has notched ten double-doubles this season, which is second most in the HVIAC. She continues to be one of the best rebounders in the country, averaging 10.0 defensive rebounds which is second in NCAA Division III.

Destiny Marino is second on the Lady Bears with 13.1 points per game, second on the team with 7.4 rebounds per game, and is tied for first place in the conference with 4.4 assists per contest. The freshman has shot efficiently in her first season, ranking second in the HVIAC with 47.6% shooting. This includes shooting 50.0% from the field in nine games with the Lady Bears going 8-2 in those matchups. She has now scored double figures in 16 straight games.

Senior Taylor Raccuglia is currently is third on the team averaging 12.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per contest and second on the team with 3.8 assists per game, putting herself sixth in the HVIAC.

Lady Bears Last Time Out

Five Lady Bears tallied double figures in points as they had their most lopsided win of the season defeating Valley Forge, 86-38, Friday night at the Hill Center.

Destiny Marino led all scorers with 15 points on six of nine shooting to go along with six assists and four rebounds, while Taylor Raccuglia finished with 14 points and six rebounds in the win. Sophomore Kristen Candelaria tallied a career-high 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Samantha Retas netted 13 points along with eight boards. Brittany Cervino also chipped in with 11 points.

Dishing It Out

This season, St. Joseph's has been one of the best passing teams in all of NCAA Division III. Their 17.6 assists per game this season ranks them first in the HVIAC as well as ninth in all of Division III.

A Knight's Tale

The Knights have a balance on the scoresheet, having five players that average in double figures. They are led by junior Champagne Hazel, who is one of the best newcomers in the HVIAC this season. She leads the team with 17.3 points per game which ranks fourth in the conference while also swiping a HVIAC-leading 4.1 steals per game. Hazel also grabs 5.2 rebounds and dishing 3.4 assists per game. This season, Hazel has won HVIAC Player of the Week once and Rookie of the Week a season-best four times.

Senior Milan Germany is second on the team with 17.0 points per game and leads the team with 11.4 boards per contest and tied for the team-high with 3.8 assists and 3.6 steals. Janay Thomas (11.6 ppg) and Rodnesha Diamond (10.0 ppg) also contribute double digit scoring averages. Thomas also second in the conference with 3.6 steals and is tied for first with 3.8 helpers per game, which puts her fifth in the conference.

Berkeley (N.Y.) Last Time Out

The Knights struggled to produce on offense as they dropped their fourth straight game in a loss to York (N.Y.), 55-49, Friday evening at the CNR Wellness Center.

They were paced by Patricia Patterson, who posted a double-double totaling 13 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort. Champagne Hazel contributed a game-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds, a game-high five steals, and four assists, while Janay Thomas added 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Next Up for the Lady Bears – Yeshiva

The Lady Bears will go on the road following a five-game home stand to take on HVIAC foe Yeshiva at the Wellness Center at the College of New Rochelle on Thursday, February 5th. Tip time for the women's game is at 8:00 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.