SFU GAME NOTES - NEC FRONT ROW

LORETTO, Pa. (Nov. 8, 2012) – The Saint Francis University women's basketball team welcomes Howard to DeGol Arena Friday for 7 p.m. tipoff.
 
JUST THE FACTS
Saint Francis Red Flash (0-0, 0-0 NEC) vs.
Howard Bison (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)
WHERE: DeGol Arena at the Maurice Stokes Athletic Center
WHEN: Friday 7 p.m.
ALL-TIME: SFU Leads 3-2
LAST TIME: SFU 67, Howard 55 – Dec. 16, 2010
BROADCAST INFO: Web stream NECFrontRow.com
BROADCASTERS: Jon Ledyard and Dave Floyd
 
GET TO KNOW THE BISON
Howard posted an excellent season in 2011-12 with a record of 24-9. The Bison feature eight seniors from a team that went to the WNIT last season and fell by three points to Virgina. The Bison were picked to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Title and Saadia Doyle earned her second consecutive MEAC Preseason Player of the Year honor. Howard last played the Flash back in 2010, when SFU traveled Washington, D.C. and knocked off the Bison 67-55. In the two teams only previous meeting in Loretto, SFU fell to the Bison 76-58. The Flash have won three of the last four meetings between the two schools. The Bison and the Flash first met Nov. 30, 1985, when Howard picked up a 74-56 win.
 
MAKING THE DEBUT
Joe Haigh makes his coaching debut Friday night and will look to become the first SFU coach since Myndi Hill to win their coaching debut. The last two coaches to make their first appearance on the SFU bench lost, as Susan Robinson-Fruchtl fell to South Carolina and Jill Poe fell to North Carolina. Friday will also be the home debut for Haigh and those have been very kind to Red Flash coaches as only one Flash coach has ever lost their home debut and that was Deb Polca, who fell to Penn State-Altoona, 68-62, in her home debut in 1983.
 
SEASON PREVIEW
First-year head coach Joe Haigh will look to get the Red Flash back to their conference championship winning ways after a rare first round exit in the Northeast Conference Championship Tournament a season ago. Haigh brings back 11 players from last year's squad including 2010-11 NEC Tournament MVP Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park), who missed the 2011-12 campaign with an injury.
 
Saint Francis also returns NEC All-Conference second team member Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) who averaged 16.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, both numbers were top five in the conference. A member of the NEC All-Rookie Team, Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) also returns and looks to build on a very impressive freshman campaign.
 
Joe Haigh is no stranger to the Red Flash program as he was an assistant coach under Susan Robinson Frutchl the past four seasons. Haigh also welcomes back Tiffani Selhorst to the sidelines after a one-year stint away from Loretto. First-year assistant coach's Eddie Benton and Tenicha Gittens will also join Haigh in 2012-13. Allison Daly, a former SFU standout guard, returns this season as the director of operations for the Flash.
 
Point-Wings
Returners (2) - Gibbs, Lilley
Nickia Gibbs (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) started in 21 of 30 games last year and finished second on the team in scoring with 10.7 per contest. Gibbs proved to be a consistent scoring threat as she led the Red Flash in that department in four of the team's contests.
 
Brittany Lilley (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) will look to get back to her 2010-11 form where she won the NEC Tournament MVP. After missing last season with an injury, she will look to regain her scoring threat ability for the Red Flash.
 
Wings
Returners (4) - Carangelo, Doogan,  Hayward, Watts Newcomer (3) - Brock, Perkins, Sparks
Haley Carangelo provided a nice spark off the bench for SFU last year playing in 25 games and averaging a solid four points per game. Carangelo made 19 three-pointers in 2011-12 and scored 101 points during the year.
 
Kelley Doogan (Claymont, Del./Ursuline Academy) will be in the mix to play more minutes for SFU in 2012-13, she played in 23 contests a season ago, including four starts. Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) contributed as much as any freshman could, finishing third on the team in scoring with nearly 10 points a game. Her contributions did not go unrecognized; she earned a spot on the NEC All-Rookie team and led the conference in three-pointers made with 63. Rhonda Watts (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson) will look to build on her first season with the Red Flash. Watts played in all 30 contests and averaged a solid six points per game after sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules.
 
Wing-Forwards
Returner (2) - Stokes, Williams Newcomer (1) - Taylor
Shaqeia Stokes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) saw limited action during her freshman season, but will look to have a more prominent role at the wing-forward position in 2012-13.
 
Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) completed another impressive season for the Red Flash earning a spot on the NEC All-Conference second team. Williams 16.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game were both top five in the conference. Williams was also named to the Capital One Academic All-District II first team and recorded a triple-double, the first one in the NEC in four seasons. Williams will be the go-to player once again for the Flash in 2012-13 and if her play the last two seasons is any indication, she will gladly accept the challenge.
 
Posts
Returners (3) - Fleming, Keegan, Phillips
Shene Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), a senior captain on this year's squad, missed last season with an injury. In 2010-11, Fleming led the Red Flash with 223 rebounds, an average of 7.4 per game. Rebecca Keegan (Jessup, Pa./Valley View) contributed off the bench and averaged four points and three rebounds per game. Keegan's role will expand during her junior season, as she will be one of SFU's key defensive threats. Hope Phillips (Marlton, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) saw action in 18 games last year for SFU, she will look earn more minutes for the Red and White this season.
 
Schedule/Pre-Season Poll
Saint Francis welcomes many quality opponents in their 2012-13 schedule. The road schedule is highlighted by trips to Ohio State and Notre Dame and a stop at Wright State for a two-day tournament. The Flash start the regular season at home Nov. 9 where they take on Howard at DeGol Arena. Northeast Conference play begins Jan. 5 against Bryant also in Loretto. The Flash will also welcome Akron and St. John's to Loretto to highlight their non-conference home schedule.
 
Saint Francis was picked to finish fourth in the Northeast Conference, the Flash are only a year removed from winning the conference championship and they will look to build their way back to the top of the standings by year's end.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Francis opens its road schedule Wednesday as the Flash head to in-state rival Bucknell for a 7 p.m. tipoff.