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opening tip... Saturday's NEC opener between Mount St. Mary's and Long Island marks the 43rd meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 1989-90 season.
•  The Blackbirds won both meetings in 2010-11 after winning 63-60 on Jan. 17 and 65-61 on Feb. 21.
• The Mount leads the series 26-16, including a 14-7 mark at home.
• Long Island has won four-straight tilts and 16 of the last 19 meetings in the series.
•  Mount St. Mary's last win in the series was a 65-63 decision on Feb. 9, 2009.

about the blackbirds... Long Island comes into the contest 5-1 overall and 0-0 in Northeast Conference play after defeating Albany 64-52 on Wednesday.
• Senior F Ashley Palmer fueled the Blackbirds against Albany with 20 points and 14 rebounds. The senior scored 26 points in a 69-53 victory against La Salle on Nov. 26. Palmer leads the team with 18.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
• Senior G Kiara Evans added 10 points and seven assists on Wednesday. Evans scored a game-high 23 points in an 82-72 win against Charlotte on Nov. 25. The senior is third on the squad with 9.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
• Junior F Ebony Davis tallied seven points and 10 rebounds against Albany. Davis registered 18 points and 17 rebounds in a 60-52 win against Drexel on Nov. 11. The junior ranks second on the team with 12.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
• Senior G Krystal Wells is averaging 8.7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game off the bench. The senior posted 16 points in a 62-60 win against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 18.

last time we met... Long Island scored 12 of the final 20 points to down Mount St. Mary's 65-61 on Feb. 21, 2011. Mary Dunn paced the Mount with 22 points and nine rebounds while Sandra Andresson added 15 points in the loss. Ashley Palmer paced Long Island with 17 points while Kiara Evans and Justine Stevenson each added 13 points.

nec openers... Mount St. Mary's is 14-8 in the first league game of the year. The Mount has lost the four NEC openers under head coach Bryan Whitten while the squad's last league opening win was an 83-70 decision at Wagner on Dec. 4, 2006.
• The Mount will play at Knott Arena in the inaugural league game of the year for the 13th time in program history and the first time since hosting Long Island in 2007-08.
• The squad is 6-3 at home and 8-5 on the road in NEC openers.
• It marks the third time the Mount has tipped off the NEC slate against Long Island (1991, 2007, 2011) with all three meetings taking place at Knott Arena. The Blackbirds will also be the Mount's first NEC home game for the fifth time in program history (1991, 1995, 1996, 2007, 2011).

quick hits on the pittsburgh game... Pittsburgh scored the first 12 points of the game and never trailed  to down the Mount 58-45 on Tuesday.
• The Mountaineers cut the score to five points (20-15, 4:48) in the first half and to seven points (42-35) in the second half. After the Panthers initial 12-0 run, the Mount played Pittsburgh to a one-point game, 46-45.
•  Sophomore Kayla Grossett paced the Mount with a season-high 13 points off the bench against the Panthers. The sophomore is averaging 9.5 points per game in her last two contests.
• Senior Sandra Andresson added 10 points and six rebounds on Tuesday. It was Andresson's second double-figure game this season and the fourth time the senior has scored at least nine points in a game.
• Junior Selina Mann tallied seven points and seven rebounds against the Panthers. The 5-4 guard leads the team with 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Freshmen Jen Carney and Melanie Mocniak entered the game with 1:50 remaining to ake their collegiate debuts in the game.
• The Mountaineers and Pittsburgh both finished the night with 42 rebounds apiece. It was only the second time this season the Mount was not outbounded by the opponent.

next on tap... Mount St. Mary's will host St. Francis (N.Y.) on Monday and will return to non-conference play at home against Loyola on Saturday.
• The Mount will play five of the six games in the month of December at Knott Arena.
in the nec... The Mount leads the NEC as in made 3-pointers (6.67) and ranks third in free throw percentage (.729).
• Junior Sydney Henderson paces the circuit in minutes (36.67) and ranks fifth in 3-pointers made (2.00).
• Junior Selina Mann is fifth in steals (3.83).

bench scoring... Mount St. Mary's has had three different bench players lead the team in scoring.
• Sophomore Kayla Grossett was the latest player to come off the bench to lead the team in points after posting 13 points against Pittsburgh.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman had a career-high 19 points off the bench against  UMES on Nov. 15 and sophomore Kelly Guerriero had a career-high 13 points against Binghamton on Nov. 11.
 
second-chance points... Mount St. Mary's has been outrebounded in four of the six games this season.
• The opponent has registered 77 second-chance points to the Mount's 46.
• The only game the Mountaineers outrebounded the opponent was against UMES on Nov. 15. The Mount held a 41-39 rebound edge and also posted 14-13 edge in second-chance points.
• The Mount ended the game against Pittsburgh with the same amount of boards (42).
• The game against Towson came down to rebounds. The Tigers outrebounded the Mount by 31 boards and held a 20-7 margin in second-chance points.
• The Mount's Top-2 rebounders sit in the squad's backcourt. Junior Selina Mann (4.8 rpg.) and sophomore Ashley Christie (4.0 rpg.) ranks second.

i'm a weekend kind of girl... Sophomore Ashley Christie averaged 11.8 points per game on the weekend in 2010-11.
• In Christie's first Saturday game in 2011-12, the sophomore notched a season-high 16 points.
• The sophomore has posted double figures in seven of her last eight Saturday games and is averaging 16.8 points per game in that stretch.
• Christie averaged 13.5 points per game in six Saturday league games last season.
• The sophomore posted nine of her 15 double-digit performances on the weekend. Those eight games also represent her Top-9 performances.  

a fresh start… Junior Sydney Henderson has returned in 2011-12 after suffering a knee injury in the season opener last season.
• Henderson posted 18 points against American on Nov. 18 and a career-high 20 points against Towson on Nov. 22.
• The junior scored 17 points against Virginia in her only action last season and has scored at least 17 points in three of her last seven games.

no cough in second year for kaufman... Sophomore Jessie Kaufman ranks second on the team with 10.2 points per game.
• The sophomore has recorded double figures in six of the first six games  this season off the bench.
• Kaufman notched a career-high 19 points against UMES on Nov. 15.
• She has scored 12 points in each of her last two contests.
• Kaufman has register112 1 of the team's 112 bench points this season.
• The sophomore has five double-digit performances in her career.

career highlights... Junior Sydney Henderson scored a career-high 20 points against Towson on Nov. 22.
• Sophomore Rachel Mathews had a career-high 10 points versus American on Nov. 18.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman notched a career-best 19 points against UMES on Nov. 15.
• Sophomore Kelly Guerriero had a career-high 13 points against Bingamton on Nov. 11.

man oh mann, selina... Mount St. Mary's can pretty much count on getting five from junior Selina Mann every game. The only question is will it be five points, five rebounds, five assists or five steals.
• This season, Mann has posted at a five spot in two categories three and in four categories once this season.
• Mann has posted a five spot in one of those categories in 47 of the 60 games.
• The junior has posted a five spot in two of those categories 18 times, twice in three categories and three times in four different categories.
• She has scored five points 33 times in her career, including 17 two-digit performances and a career-high 26 at San Jose State on Dec. 29, 2010.
• The 5-4 guard has posted five rebounds 16 times in her career, including two 10-board performances.
• Mann has dished out five assists 15 times in her career including a career-high eight helpers against San Fransisco on Dec. 31, 2010 and against Towson on Nov. 22, 2011.
• The junior has registered five steals in a game five times in her career, including tying a program record with 10 thefts against Sacred Heart on Jan. 24, 2011. She also has eight games of four steal to her credit.
• Mann leads the team with three double-doubles. She has two points-rebounds tricks and one points-steals. She is only the third player in Mount Division I history with a double-double that includes steals. The junior recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds against American on Nov. 18.

the need to dial long distance for 1-2-3... The NCAA changed the three-point line for the 2011-12 women's basketball season to 20 feet, nine inches, which is the same distance men's basketball has been using for several years.
• Last season, the Mount led the Northeast Conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.355) and had three players rank in the Top-10 in the category.  
• The Mount is 40-for-126 this season from behind the arc, including 13-for-23 against Towson on Nov. 22. The 13 made 3-pointers tied a program record. The squad also hit 13 treys against North Carolina on Feb. 27, 1989.
• Through five games, the Mount is shooting better from behind the arc this season. The squad hit 26 of 87through five games  last season.
• Junior Sydney Henderson leads the team with 12 baskets from behind the arc while sophomore Jessie Kaufman has 10.

in their collegiate debut... Freshman Mariah Powell was the lone freshman to make her collegiate debut in the season opener against Binghamton.
• Powell entered the game with 67 seconds left and registered her first career points on a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left and her first collegiate rebound with 19 ticks on the clock.
• Fellow freshmen Jen Carney and Melanie Mocniak  made their collegiate debut after entering the game against Pittsburgh with 1:50 left on Nov. 29.

would the real jessie kaufman please stand up... There are now to Jessica Kaufman's in the Northeast Conference.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman is in her second season at the Mount while freshman Jessica Kaufman joined the St. Francis (N.Y.) team this season.

in the month... Mount St. Mary's is 105-90 in the month of December in program history. The Mount is 50-25 at home, 43-48 on the road and 12-17 at a neutral site in the month.
• The Mountaineers are 51-80 in December since switching to Division I in 1988-89. The team is 22-21 at Knott Arena, 20-44 on the road and 9-15 at a neutral site.
• Under head coach Bryan Whitten, the Mount is 6-20 overall, 1-5 at home, 5-13 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site in the month.
• All five of the Mount's victories in December under Whitten have come after Dec. 13, including four after the Christmas holiday.
• Mount St. Mary's played its first-ever contest in program history in the month of December, falling to Loyola 60-31 on Dec. 4, 1974.

in the non-conference slate... Mount St. Mary's is 76-119 in non-conference games since joining the Northeast Conference in 1989-90.

home sweet home... In its 25th season at Knott Arena, Mount St. Mary's has posted a 209-103 overall mark, including 70-43 in non-conference play and 139-60 in league play since moving across Route 15 from Memorial Gym.

tops in the league... Mount St. Mary's has posted the most wins in the Northeast Conference since joining the league in 1989-90 with 246 victories.
• The Mount has the third-most wins in league history, trailing only Monmouth (2645 and Saint Francis (Pa.) (270).
• The Mount is 246-142 in Northeast Conference play, including 139-58 at Knott Arena and 107-83 on the road.

hearing your name called at the start... Head coach Bryan Whitten has only had 19 players start in his four-year tenure at the Mount.
• Senior Sandra Andresson has started 81 of the 92 games she has played.
• Junior  Sydney Henderson started 21 of the 32 games she has played, including 15- straight games she has played.
• Junior Tara Lonergan has started 11 games in her career.
• Sophomore Ashley Christie has started the first 35 games of her collegiate career.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman has started nine games while fellow sophomore Rachel Mathews has started five-straight games and sophomore Kayla Grossett has started two contests.

preseason poll... The Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team has been picked 11th in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Coaches Poll. Five of the 12 teams in the league garnered first place votes with Saint Francis (Pa.) being tabbed the preseason favorite after picking up four first place nods. Robert Morris, Long Island, Monmouth and Sacred Heart each picked up two first place votes apiece. The Colonials and Blackbirds placed 2-3 in the poll while the Hawks and Pioneers finished tied for fourth. Quinnipiac, Fairleigh Dickinson, Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Wagner, Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis (N.Y.) rounded out the 12-team poll.

let's play to 60 points... Mount St. Mary's is most successful under head coach Bryan Whitten when it scores 60 points in a game or holds the opponent under that total.
• The Mount is 24-21 when it scores 60 points in a game, but 18-56 when it does not reach 60 points.
• Defensively, the Mountaineers are 32-26 when the opponents are held under 60 points and 9-55 when the opponent reaches 60 points.

three keys to whitten success... The Mount is most successful under head coach Bryan Whitten when the squad leads at halftime, in rebounding or keeps the opponent under 60 points.
• The Mount is 33-16 when he holds the lead at halftime, 2-3 when the game is tied, but just 7-62 when trailing at the break.
• The squad is 19-16 when it holds a rebounding edge in a game, but just 21-60 when the opponent has the advantage and 2-5 when the two teams have equal boards.
• Mount St. Mary's is 32-26 when it holds opponents under 60 points.

hitting 20 points in a game... Senior Sandra Andresson, juniors Sydney Henderson and Selina Mann and sophomore Ashley Christie are the only four players on the roster that has scored 20 points in a game.
• Henderson became the first player this season to reach 20 points when she scored a career-best 20 points against Towson on Nov. 22.
• Mann scored a career-high 26 points against San Jose State on Dec. 29, 2010.
• Christie posted a career-high 21 points against Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 5, 2011.
• Andresson registered a career-best 25 points against Monmouth on Feb. 7, 2011.
• The Mount has registered 25 20-point performances and two 30-point games under head coach Bryan Whitten. The squad is 13-12 when a player reaches 20 points and 2-0 when a player scores 30 in a contest.

players on the move... Senior Sandra Andresson currently sits in 49th place in program history with 592 points needs eight points to become the 46th place in program history to score 600 points. She can move into 45th place with 11 points and 44th place with 24 points.
• Junior Selina Mann has 380 points for her career to rank 62nd and can move into 61st place with 37 points.
• Sophomore Ashley Christie has 320 points to rank 68th in program history. The sophomore can move into 67th place with 11 points, 65th place with 16 points and 64th place with 18 points.
• Junior Sydney Henderson has 218 career points to sit in 81st place. Henderson can move into 80th place with one points, 79th place with three points and 77th place with 21 points.
• Junior Tara Lonergan sits in 88th place with 176 points  and she can jump into 87th place with three point, 86th place with six points, and 85th place with 10 points.
• Sophomore Jessie Kaufman jumped into the program's Top-100 with 19 points against UMES on Nov. 15 and now stands in 87th place with 179 points. She can move into 86th place with three points, 85th place with seven points, 84th place with 14 points and 83rd place with 18 points.
• Sophomore Kayla Grossett ranks 91st place with 171 points, two points from 90th place, four points from 89th place, five from 88th place, eight from 87th place, 11 from 86th place and 15 from 85th place.   
• Sophomore Kelly Guerriero (121 points) will be the next players to crack the program's Top-100, needing 23 points.

big east showdowns, at least for now... Mount St. Mary's will play Pittsburgh on Nov. 29 and West Virginia on Dec. 20.
• It will be the fifth meeting against Pittsburgh in the last six years and the two teams will play each other for the third-straight year. The Panthers have won the four previous matchups.
• Pitt head coach Agnus (McGlade) Berenato is a Mount graduate.
• West Virginia returns to the schedule for the first time since 2002-03. West Virginia leads the series 3-2.
• The Mount's lone win against a BCS opponent since switching to Division I was a 78-75 win against West Virginia on Dec. 6, 1994.
• Both Pitt and West Virginia made news earlier this year by announcing that it would be leaving the Big East. The Panthers are slated to join the Atlantic Coast Conference and West Virginia is heading to the Big 12.

new to the mountain... Head coach Bryan Whitten added four players to his 2011-12 team. Freshmen Jen Carney, Melanie Mocniak, Mariah Powell and Lindsay Williams all joined the team this season.
• Sophomore Jacqueline Brewer also joined the team, but will have to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer regulations. Brewer comes to the Mount after playing at Virginia Commonwealth last year.

northeast conference history... Prior to the last two seasons, the Mount had advanced to 20-straight NEC Tournaments.
• Mount St. Mary's is 17-17 in the NEC Tournament.
• The Mountaineers have not won a tournament game since a 50-45 win against Sacred Heart on Mar. 4, 2001.
• Mount St. Mary's won tournaments in 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95, including earning the league's first two NCAA Division I bids.

the underlining whit... Head coach Bryan Whitten is in his fifth season at the Mount. The Mount is 42-81 overall under Whitten.
• The Mount is 20-35 overall at Knott Arena and 14-23 in NEC play under Whitten.
• The Mountaineers fair better on the road with a 22-46  overall mark away from Emmitsburg and 11-22 in league play.
• Whitten picked up his first Mount win with a 55-51 decision at Lafayette on Nov. 17, 2007 and earned his 25th career in at Lafayette on Nov. 30, 2009.
• Whitten earned his 250th win of his career against Quinnipiac on Jan. 30, 2010.

foreign flavor... Mount St. Mary's has two international players on the roster in 2011-12.
• Senior Sandra Andresson (Estonia) became the fourth international player in Emmitsburg and sophomore Kayla Grossett (Canada) became the fifth international player at the Mount.
• The trio follows Katie Walton (Canada, 1998-02), Dita Krumberga (Latvia, 2004-07), and Leah Westbrooks (Ireland, 2007-11.

out of africa... Former women's basketball player Leah Westbrooks was named the recipient of the Shooting Touch Inc. Sabbatical Program grant.
• Westbrooks received $25,000 to help with travel cost and expenses on her 10-month international independent study in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Westbrooks is currently in South Africa to work with the Hoops for Hope group and Western Zimbabwe with the Matilda Project.
• Check out this video of Westbrooks: http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2011/09/24/20110924_shooting_touch.nba