FAIRFIELD, Conn.— The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team is set for a non-conference clash against Monmouth on Wednesday Nov. 15. Opening tip for the bout is slated for 7 p.m. at the Hawks' OceanFirst Bank Center. 

LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM | GAME NOTES

OPENING TIP

• Wednesday's game will be the 35th all-time meeting between the Pioneers and Hawks in a series that dates back to 1997-98.
• SHU leads the series 19-15, with its last win being a 63-60 away triumph in overtime on Dec. 2, 2021.
• The Hawks took last season's matchup 77-62.
• The Pioneers picked up their first win of the season on Sunday by defeating Morgan State 63-55.
• SHU trailed at halftime by two, 33-31, before turning on the jets in the second half.
• The Pios outscored the Hawks by a 32-22 margin in the final 20 minutes by topping the Hawks on both ends of the court. The Pioneers shot 59.1 percent from the field in the half to Monmouth's mark of 28.0.
• Graduate student Sajada Bonner led the way for Sacred Heart with a game-high 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the floor and a 4-for-6 mark from behind the arc.
• Ny'Ceara Pryor also posted a stellar day in her return to Baltimore, as she poured in 13 points with eight assists, three rebounds and three steals.
• Sierra Johnson led SHU's efforts on the glass with eight rebounds to go along with eight points. 

FINDING HER SHOT
Bonner's excellence in the second half against the Lady Bears was critical to the Pioneers picking up their first win of the season Sunday. The graduate guard finished Sunday with a game-high 19 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Bonner shot 6-for-9 (66.7%) from the floor and 4-for-6 (66.7%) from 3-point range. All four of the Cliffwood, N.J. native's triples came in the third quarter, which helped SHU take and keep the lead for the remainder of the contest.

CRAZY 8s
In Sunday's game, Sacred Heart received meaningful contributions from both Pryor and Sierra Johnson. Pryor racked up 13 points, a game-high eight assists, three rebounds and three steals in one of her patented all-around performances. Despite being a guard, Johnson led the Pioneers with eight rebounds while scoring eight points. A guard has led the Pios in rebounds in both games this season, as Amelia Wood paced the team with 11 boards in its opener against Rhode Island.

SCOUTING MONMOUTH
Like the Pioneers, Monmouth enters Wednesday's bout with a 1-1 record. The defending CAA champions opened the season with a 56-51 loss at Rutgers before bouncing back with a 74-69 triumph over St. John's at home on Friday. Monmouth lost the first three quarters against the Red Storm and trailed 60-50 heading into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, the Hawks were behind 68-57 with 7:51 left until a 12-0 surge that spanned 5:57 put them up 69-68. The Red Storm scored just one point over the final 7:51 to take a road non-conference loss. Seniors Ariana Vanderhoop and Kaci Donovan lead Monmouth's offensive efforts with 12.5 and 11.5 points-per-game averages, respectively. Vanderhoop also paces the team with 5.5 boards and 2.5 assists per game. Vanderhoop's early-season success should not come as a surprise as she was named Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention at the league's media day.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST THE HAWKS
Wednesday's game will mark the 35th all-time meeting between the Pioneers and Hawks in a series that dates back to 1997-98. The Pioneers lead the series with a 19-15 record against their former NEC foes. Monmouth took last season's matchup 77-62 at the Pitt Center, while Sacred Heart won the year prior 63-60 in overtime in New Jersey.