Pirates Selected for WBIT; Face Saint Joe's Thursday

[Halldan1]

Pirates Selected for WBIT; Face Saint Joe's Thursday - Seton Hall University Athletics

The Seton Hall women's basketball team has been invited to participate in the 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). The Pirates will face Sa...

shupirates.com

Bracket

https://shupirates.com/documents/2024/3/18/Inaugural_2024_WBIT_Bracket.pdf

The Hall will head to Philadelphia to face the Hawks for a second-straight postseason.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Seton Hall women's basketball team has been invited to participate in the 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). The Pirates will face Saint Joseph's in the first round of the event on Thursday, March 21 in Philadelphia.

Should Seton Hall advance past the Hawks, the Pirates will face the winner of the game between California and Hawaii in round two. The location and date for that contest is TBD.

WBIT committee seeded only the top half of the 32-team field. The remaining 16 teams were placed into the bracket by the WBIT Committee as close to their area of natural interest as possible. The 2024 semifinals and championship will be played at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind.

Preliminary WBIT games are being televised on ESPN+, while the semifinals will be on ESPNU, and the finals will be on ESPN2. Additional WBIT information can be found on ncaa.com/WBIT.

This will be the second-consecutive year that The Hall is facing Saint Joseph's in the first round of the postseason. Last year, the Pirates hosted the Hawks in the first round of the WNIT in Walsh Gym, which resulted in a 69-61 victory for Seton Hall.

This is the inaugural WBIT event and the third consecutive season playing in the postseason for the Pirates. The Hall has now played in the postseason during eight of 11 seasons with Anthony Bozzella at the helm. Of the three seasons they didn't compete in postseason play, the 2020 postseason was canceled and the Pirates declined a WNIT invitation in 2021, both due to COVID concerns.

 

[Joe045]

The Bozzella Invitational.

 

[HallX2]

Is there still a WNIT? It’s below the WBIT?

 

[Halldan1]

No link yet

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024

2024 WBIT – First Round

SETON HALL (17-14) at SAINT JOSEPH’S (26-5)

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Michael J. Hagan Arena – 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

Radio: 89.5 FM WSOU or WSOU.net

Live Stats: SHUpirates.com



THE GAME

Seton Hall has excepted an at large bid to the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) and will face third-seeded Saint Joseph’s in the first round on Thursday, March 21 in Philadelphia.

MEDIA

The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Mike Samsel and Renie Shields on the call. As usual, the game will also be available over the airwaves at 89.5 FM WSOU or wsou.net. Ryan Johnston and Joe Matthews will describe the action on the radio. Live stats will also be available.

WSOU is also airing a post-game “Hall Line” show following its women’s basketball games. Be sure to tune in after the final buzzer.

LAST GAME

In an even battle that went down to the wire, the Seton Hall women basketball team was edged by second-seeded Creighton, 72-65, in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals at Mohegan Sun Arena on March 9.

The game was yet another Seton Hall/Creighton classic and was a one possession game throughout the entirety of the second and third quarters. The Hall trailed by three entering the fourth, and the Bluejays scored the first five points of the quarter to take their largest lead of the game. The Pirates never found the equalizer.

Sophomore Micah Gray (Oklahoma City, Okla.) had a team-best 15 points. Azana Baines (Blackwood, N.J.) finished with 14 points. Kae Satterfield (New York, N.Y.) had 11 points and five rebounds.

Seton Hall All-Time vs. the Hawks: Seton Hall leads, 10-5

2022-23 Meetings:

2023 WNIT First Round

Seton Hall 69, Saint Joseph’s 61 (F) – March 16, 2023 (Walsh Gymnasium)

AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH’S

Seton Hall and Saint Joseph’s will meet for the 16th time in history on Thursday and for the second straight year, it’ll be in the post-season. The Hall owns a 10-5 all-time series record and has won the last two. Most recently, the Pirates defeated the Hawks, 69-61, in the opening round of the 2023 WNIT in Walsh Gym. The Pirates haven’t played at Michael J. Hagan Arena since 2015 and haven’t lost there since Nov. 30, 2005.

SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH’S

Picked to finish second in the 15-team Atlantic 10, according to the preseason coaches’ poll, the Hawks didn’t disappoint during the 2023-24 season. Saint Joseph’s finished the regular season with a staggering 26-4 overall record, tying the program record for single-season wins. The third-seeded Hawks received a double-bye in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but were upset by sixth-seeded Rhode Island.

The Hawks placed three players on Atlantic 10 All-Conference Teams. Laura Ziegler (1st), Talya Brugler (2nd) and Mackenzie Smith (2nd) made the team in back-to-back seasons after becoming the first trio in nearly 20 years for St. Joe's to earn all-conference nods. Ziegler joined Brugler and Natasha Cloud as the only other Hawks in the last decade to make the First Team. Ziegler was also added to the All-Defensive Team, while Brugler earned All-Academic distinction.

Although it had a fantastic start, Saint Joseph’s has dropped three of its last five games. The Hall and the Hawks have had one common opponent, Villanova. Saint Joseph’s defeated the Wildcats back on Dec. 9. The Pirates dropped both of their regular season tilts to Villanova. Four players are currently averaging in double-figures in scoring for SJU, and are led by Brugler’s 15.8 points per game. Ziegler is averaging nearly a double-double with 14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest.

UP NEXT
With a victory, Seton Hall will advance to the WBIT Second Round and meet either California or Hawaii on Sunday, March 24. The host and time have yet to be determined.

 

[Harty9]

Almost forgot this is tonight.
I don't have access to espn+

 

[lloyde dobler]

In case you are wondering, the WBIT is the brand new women’s equivalent of the NIT in that it’s controlled by the NCAA, and there are no costs involved.

The WNIT is now the equivalent of the CBI, where it is the second-class event. It is run by a sports marketing company and schools are on the hook for some $$$$.