2023–24 Sacred Heart Pioneers women's basketball team

2023–24 Sacred Heart Pioneers women's basketball
NEC regular season and tournament champions
NCAA tournament, First Four
ConferenceNortheast Conference
Record24–10 (15–1 NEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Liz Flooks
  • Candice Leatherwood
  • Marc Taney
Home arenaWilliam H. Pitt Center
Seasons
2023–24 Northeast Conference women's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Sacred Heart † 15 – 1   .938 24 – 10   .706
Le Moyne* 14 – 2   .875 18 – 15   .545
Fairleigh Dickinson 11 – 5   .688 14 – 17   .452
Merrimack 8 – 8   .500 12 – 19   .387
Central Connecticut 7 – 9   .438 9 – 21   .300
LIU 5 – 11   .313 8 – 22   .267
Stonehill* 4 – 12   .250 4 – 26   .133
Saint Francis 4 – 12   .250 5 – 25   .167
Wagner 4 – 12   .250 7 – 21   .250
* ineligible for the 2024 NCAA tournament due to transition period
† 2024 NEC tournament winner

The 2023–24 Sacred Heart Pioneers women's basketball team represented Sacred Heart University (SHU) during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Pioneers, led by 11th-year head coach Jessica Mannetti, played their home games at the William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, Connecticut as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC).

This was the Pioneers' final season in the NEC. On October 25, 2023, SHU and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference jointly announced that the university would join that conference on July 1, 2024.[1]

Offseason

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Year Hometown Reason for departure
Wil'Lisha Jackson 5 G/F 5' 8" SR Rahway, NJ Graduated
Maya Klein 12 G 5' 6" GS Stamford, CT Graduated
Savannah Marshall 33 G 5' 8" SR Westbrook, CT Graduated
Carly Stroemel 13 F/C 6' 2" SR Voorhees, NJ Graduated

Incoming transfers

Name Number Pos. Height Year Hometown Previous school
Faith Pappas 5 G 5' 11" SO Long Valley, NJ Fordham

Roster

2023–24 Sacred Heart Pioneers women's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Montana Nicks 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Fr Dwight-Englewood School Englewood, NJ
G 1 Ny'Ceara Pryor 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m) So Western Baltimore, MD
G 2 Thai Davis 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Fr Beaver Country Day School Stoughton, MA
G 3 Amelia Wood 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) So Averill Park Wynantskill, NY
G 4 Nalyce Dudley 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Fr New London Norwich, CT
G 5 Faith Pappas 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) So Pope John XXIII Regional/Fordham Long Valley, NJ
G 10 Afia Owusu Mensah 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Jr Glenn Dale, MD
G 15 Emma Kirby 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Fr Tatnall School Chadds Ford, PA
F 22 Ciara Brannon 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Sr Westampton Tech/Wagner Westampton, NJ
G 23 Sajada Bonner 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) GS St. John Vianney/Quinnipiac Cliffwood, NJ
G 24 Sierra Johnson 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) So TPLS Christian Academy Richmond, VA
G 30 Olivia Tucker 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) GS Sanford School/St. Bonaventure Newark, DE
F/C 34 Kelsey Wood 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Sr Averill Park Wynantskill, NY
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: September 15, 2024

Schedule

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 7, 2023*
6:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Rhode Island L 40–91  0–1
 Ryan Center (1,260)
Kingston, RI
November 11, 2023*
2:00 p.m. 		at Morgan State W 63–55  1–1
 Talmadge L. Hill Field House 
Baltimore, MD
November 15, 2023*
7:00 p.m., FloHoops 		at Monmouth W 59–50  2–1
 OceanFirst Bank Center (577)
West Long Branch, NJ
November 19, 2023*
2:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		Hofstra W 63–60  3–1
 William H. Pitt Center (683)
Fairfield, CT
November 23, 2023*
9:00 p.m. 		University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez
San Juan Shootout 		W 73–42  4–1
 José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum (250)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
November 24, 2023*
6:30 p.m., FloHoops 		VCU
San Juan Shootout 		L 62–76  4–2
 José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum (250)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
November 25, 2023*
6:30 p.m., FloHoops 		UCF
San Juan Shootout 		L 58–69  4–3
 José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum 
San Juan, Puerto Rico
November 29, 2023*
7:00 p.m., SNY 		Fairfield L 61–66 OT 4–4
 William H. Pitt Center (788)
Fairfield, CT
December 2, 2023*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Bryant L 71–74 OT 4–5
 Chace Athletic Center (225)
Smithfield, RI
December 6, 2023*
7:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		NJIT W 57–48  5–5
 William H. Pitt Center (402)
Fairfield, CT
December 10, 2023*
12:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Iona L 50–60  5–6
 Hynes Athletic Center (1,021)
New Rochelle, NY
December 16, 2023*
5:00 p.m., FloSports 		at Providence L 35–66  5–7
 Alumni Hall (584)
Providence, RI
December 20, 2023*
11:00 a.m., ESPN+ 		at Vermont L 64–70  5–8
 Patrick Gym (904)
Burlington, VT
December 31, 2023*
1:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		Mercy W 73–41  6–8
 William H. Pitt Center 
Fairfield, CT
Northeast Conference regular season
January 6, 2024
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Merrimack W 65–51  7–8
(1–0) 		William H Pitt Center 
Fairfield, CT
January 8, 2024
7:00 p.m. 		at Saint Francis W 86–47  8–8
(2–0) 		DeGol Arena (83)
Loretto, PA
January 13, 2024
2:00 p.m. 		at LIU W 67–56  9–8
(3–0) 		Steinberg Wellness Center 
Brooklyn, NY
January 15, 2024
2:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		Le Moyne L 56–60  9–9
(3–1) 		William H Pitt Center (442)
Fairfield, CT
January 21, 2024
4:00 p.m. 		at Wagner W 83–63  10–9
(4–1) 		Spiro Sports Center (483)
Staten Island, NY
January 25, 2024
7:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		LIU W 70–55  11–9
(5–1) 		William H Pitt Center 
Fairfield, CT
January 27, 2024
2:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		Fairleigh Dickinson W 68–51  12–9
(6–1) 		William H Pitt Center (864)
Fairfield, CT
February 1, 2024
6:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		at Stonehill W 80–53  13–9
(7–1) 		Merkert Gymnasium (381)
Easton, MA
February 3, 2024
2:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		at Le Moyne W 73–55  14–9
(8–1) 		Ted Grant Court (403)
DeWitt, NY
February 9, 2024
7:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		Central Connecticut W 58–53  15–9
(9–1) 		William H Pitt Center (512)
Fairfield, CT
February 17, 2024
2:00 p.m., SNY 		Wagner W 79–55  16–9
(10–1) 		William H Pitt Center (525)
Fairfield, CT
February 22, 2024
7:00 p.m. 		at Fairleigh Dickinson W 75–63  17–9
(11–1) 		Bogota Savings Bank Center (405)
Teaneck, NJ
February 24, 2024
1:00 p.m. 		at Central Connecticut W 73–55  18–9
(12–1) 		William H. Detrick Gymnasium (459)
New Britain, CT
February 29, 2024
7:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		Stonehill W 78–49  19–9
(13–1) 		William H Pitt Center (441)
Fairfield, CT
March 2, 2024
3:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Merrimack W 64–51  20–9
(14–1) 		Hammel Court 
North Andover, MA
March 7, 2024
11:00 a.m., NEC Front Row 		Saint Francis W 76–47  21–9
(15–1) 		William H Pitt Center (1,502)
Fairfield, CT
Northeast Conference women's tournament
March 11, 2024
7:00 p.m., NEC Front Row 		(1) (8) Saint Francis
Quarterfinals 		W 78–48  22–9
 William H. Pitt Center (298)
Fairfield, CT
March 14, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		(1) (3) Merrimack
Semifinals 		W 73–41  23–9
 William H. Pitt Center (464)
Fairfield, CT
March 17, 2024
12:00 p.m., ESPNU 		(1) (2) Le Moyne
Championship 		W 69–48  24–9
 William H. Pitt Center (1,467)
Fairfield, CT
NCAA women's tournament
March 20, 2024*
7:00 p.m., ESPNU 		(16 A1) vs. (16 A1) Presbyterian
First Four 		L 42–49  24–10
 Colonial Life Arena (1,196)
Columbia, SC
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.

Source:[2]

References

  1. ^ "MAAC Welcomes Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University as Newest Full Members" (Press release). Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  2. ^ "2023-24 Women's Basketball Schedule". Sacred Heart Athletics. Retrieved September 17, 2023.