Thursday, July 9, 2015

St. John's women's basketball releases nonconference schedule

Trips to UCLA, Rutgers and Kansas headline a nonconference schedule for St. John's that also includes several home games against quality mid-majors. (Photo courtesy of Ray Floriani)

On the heels of their eighth straight postseason appearance, St. John's faces a unique nonconference schedule that will not only test them, but with the right bounces of the basketball, position them firmly in the conversation for at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, which the Red Storm fell short of last year, competing instead in the WNIT.

"Here at St. John's, we have always valued the opportunity to challenge ourselves in our nonconference schedule," said head coach Joe Tartamella, who has spent over a decade in Queens, first as an assistant to Kim Barnes Arico before entering what will now be his fourth season at the helm. "All of these games will prepare us for an extremely competitive Big East schedule."

St. John's will open the season on the West Coast, doing so inside historic Pauley Pavilion on Friday, November 13 against UCLA. Interestingly, that game will be part of an intriguing local doubleheader of sorts, as the Bruin men welcome Monmouth to Westwood that same day. The California trip continues for the Red Storm two days later with a game at UC Riverside, before resuming a longtime Big East rivalry against Rutgers on November 19 at the RAC in Piscataway.

A three-game homestand is next on the schedule, with the Carnesecca Arena opener taking place on Sunday, November 22 against Brian Giorgis and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference powerhouse Marist, a return game from last year's thriller at McCann Arena, where St. John's defeated the Red Foxes in the final seconds by the final of 49-48. South Florida (November 29) and Northeast Conference favorite Sacred Heart (December 3) also come to Queens, with the latter matchup being a return game from the 2013-14 season opener at the Pitt Center in Fairfield.

Three of the next four for the Red Storm will be on the road, beginning with a journey to another timeless college basketball venue on December 6, when St. John's will visit Allen Fieldhouse for a meeting with Kansas. On the 9th of December, Yale will return the favor from last season's opener in New Haven by traveling to Carnesecca Arena in a prelude to the final non-league road trip for Tartamella's team, which features a December 13 skirmish in Orlando with Central Florida, and a battle with Duquesne on December 19 in Pittsburgh.

At this time, there is no word on what will become of the Chartwells Holiday Classic, St. John's annual tournament held at Carnesecca Arena, but the Red Storm concludes its non-Big East ledger with a home game against Joe Frager's Fairfield Stags, a contender in the wide-open MAAC, on December 22. All game times are to be determined.

2015-16 St. John's Women's Basketball Nonconference Schedule
Friday, November 13: at UCLA
Sunday, November 15: at UC Riverside
Thursday, November 19: at Rutgers
Sunday, November 22: vs. Marist
Sunday, November 29: vs. South Florida
Thursday, December 3: vs. Sacred Heart
Sunday, December 6: at Kansas
Wednesday, December 9: vs. Yale
Sunday, December 13: at Central Florida
Saturday, December 19: at Duquesne
Tuesday, December 22: vs. Fairfield

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