FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team will have a busy Saturday on its hands, as it welcomes FDU for its annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) game. The game, set to tipoff at 2 p.m. at the Pitt Center, will also feature a celebration of the team's 50th anniversary, as members of the original roster will be honored throughout the day.

LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM | GAME NOTES

OPENING TIP

• SHU will play FDU for the 47th time on Saturday, with the Pioneers holding a 35-11 lead in the all-time series. 
• Sacred Heart has dominated the series of late, taking all three games last season, including a 72-60 win over the top-seeded Knights in the 2023 NEC Championship Game in Teaneck, N.J. SHU is also an impressive 21-1 all-time against FDU in Fairfield. 
• The Pios head into Saturday fresh off a 70-55 home win over LIU on Thursday. SHU tallied 15 steals against the Sharks, the team's second-highest total of the season. 
• Amelia Wood and Ny'Ceara Pryor accounted for 10 of the 15 steals, as each had five. Wood's five steals is a new career high for the sophomore. 
• Pryor continued her strong stretch of play, leading the team with 22 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and five steals. 
• Wood finished the night with 14 points, her fourth double-digit scoring game in her last five contests. She also added nine rebounds and five steals in an all-around effort. 
• Senior Kelsey Wood had one of her best outings of the season against LIU with four points and a season-best seven rebounds in 18 minutes. 
• With five points on Thursday, Olivia Tucker hit 600 points in her collegiate career.

50TH ANNIVERSARY  
The 2023-24 Pioneers will make history before stepping on the court, as this season marks the 50th in the program's history. The history of Sacred Heart women's basketball dates back to 1974-75. Over those years, SHU has changed dramatically as a program, culminating in last season's record-breaking campaign.

PIOS WREAK HAVOC ON DEFENSE
The Pioneers had one of their best defensive performances of the season on Thursday, tallying 15 steals, which was the team's second-highest total of 2023-24. Sacred Heart has seven games with 10+ steals, with its 19-steal performance against Merrimack leading the way. Of SHU's 15 steals against LIU, 10 came from Pryor and A. Wood. Both players finished Thursday with five swipes, as Wood's total is a career-high for the sophomore. 

NY EYES 1,000
With 22 points against the Sharks Thursday, Pryor has scored 935 points in her two-year career, putting her just 65 shy of the prestigious 1,000 mark. The outstanding sophomore guard has appeared in just 53 games in her career, as she maintains an average of 17.6 points per game entering Saturday. If Pryor scores her 1,000th point this season, she will be the second Pioneer this year to accomplish the feat, as Bonner did so on New Year's Eve against Mercy.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
The Knights sit third in the current NEC standings, owning a 4-2 record through six league games. Overall, FDU is 6-13 after winning its last three games against Saint Francis, Stonehill and Central Connecticut State. Senior guard Abby Conklin has been critical to the Knights' success this season, as she rarely leaves the court. She ranks third in the country in minutes per game at 37.74. She also leads the NEC with a 37.1 3-point field goal percentage, 49 made 3-pointers and 2.58 3-pointers made per game. Conklins' success from behind the arc may be because of the team's volume of deep shots, as the Knights lead the NEC and rank 56th in the country in 3-point attempts per game (23.3). Fellow senior Teneisia Brown has also been a key contributor for FDU, as she paces the team with 10.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game; the latter also leads the conference. 

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FDU
Saturday's contest will mark the 47th all-time meeting between the Pioneers and Knights, with SHU winning 35 of the first 46 matchups. SHU enters Saturday riding a three-game win streak against FDU, taking all three meetings last year, including in the NEC Championship Game, where the second-seeded Pios topped the top-seeded Knights on their home court, 72-60.