BOSTON--The Boston University women's basketball team kicks off its 2015-16 season against crosstown rival Northeastern on Friday, Nov. 13 at noon in Case Gym.

The game will be broadcast live on the Patriot League Network with James Mattone and Alex Smith on the call.

STORYLINES
-This is the 74th all-time meeting between the cross-town rivals, a series dating back to 1978.
-Kelly Cole and Katy Steding both made their DI head coaching debuts against eachother in last years season opener.
-They are long-time rivals, dating back to their teen years when they played at rival high schools in the Portland, Ore. area.
-In total, this is the eighth time Steding and Cole will go head-to-head, including five high school state championship games and one collegiate game (Stanford vs. Northwestern in 1988).
-Troi Melton and NU's Onia Webb both plated for Cardinal Spellman in the Bronx, N.Y. The duo helped guide their team to the Archdiocean final and CHSAA Class A state quarterfinals.

QUICK HITS
-BU enters its third season in the Patriot League and second under the command of head coach Katy Steding.
-The Terriers return nine players from the 2014-15 season and added five during the off-season.
-This year's captains are Clodagh Scannell, Courtney Latham, Sarah Hope and Corrine Williams.
-Six players that started 12 or more games return for the 2015-16 season.
-BU's leading scorer (11.5) and rebounder (6.7), Meghan Green, returns to the lineup as a junior.
-The Terriers enter their 41st season as a varsity program.

A TERRIER WIN WOULD...
-Break Northeastern's three-game series win-streak.
-Give BU back-to-back wins in home openers.
-Be Coach Steding's first win against Northeastern.

THE HUSKIES
-Northeastern comes off a tough 2014-15 season that ended with a 4-25 overall and 1-17 record in the CAA.
-The Huskies return eight players from last season and add four freshmen to the roster. -2014-15 leading scorer and rebounder Samantha DeFreese is one of NU's returners. She averaged 13.9 ppg and 7.0 rpg last season.
-Northeastern had three players averaging double-figure scoring by the end of the season including returner Tiffany Montagne (12.2 ppg).The Huskies did lose A'lece Mark, however, who averaged 12.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.0 apg in her senior season.
-Kelly Cole enters her second season as the Huskys' head coach.

STEDING STATS
-Katy Steding enters her second season at the helm of the Terriers.
-Prior to heading to Boston, Steding spent two seasons as an assistant coach at California, one season as the associate head coach at San Francisco, and one season at Columbia.
-Though her first gig at the Division I level, Steding spent seven seasons as the head coach at Warner Pacific College (NAIA).
-Prior to her coaching career, Steding played in the WNBA, ABA and for Team USA, with whom she won a gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
-The Oregon native played college ball at Stanford and led the Cardinal to its first-ever National Championship in 1990. She was named the MVP in the win.

BU IN SEASON OPENERS
-The Terriers own a 17-23 record in their first game of the season.
-Last year, BU lost its season opener to Northeastern, 75-74, for the second straight season.
-BU has opened its season against the Huskies every year since the Terriers joined the Patriot League in 2013.
-All-time, BU is 23-17 in home openers.

THE SERIES
-Friday's game marks the 74th meeting between the two Boston-based schools with the Terriers holding a 39-34 advantage in the series.
-Northeastern has the longest series with Boston U. out of any opponent.
-The Terriers and the Huskies have met at least once every season since 1976. Both schools were members of the America East Conference until Northeastern left for the CAA in 2005.
-BU has dominated Northeastern in this millenium, as the Terriers are 16-8 against the Huskies since 2000, although the Huskies have had the edge over the last three seasons, winning each contest.
-The last time the pair played at Case Gym, the Huskies came away with a 73-62 victory.

MELTON MOST IMPROVED
-Senior Troi Melton finished the season on a hot streak, averaging 10.5 points per game over the final 13 games of the season. She was named the team's Most Improved Player by the coaching staff following the season.
-During that span, Melton was in double-figures in eight games including including two 20-point games.
-The Bronx, N.Y. native set a career high against eventual Patriot League Champion American, scoring 23 points.
-Melton looks like she will continue her success in the 2015-16 season as she had a dominant 24-point performance in the pre-season scrimmage with Providence on Nov. 7.

KEEPING IT LOCAL
-The Terriers will not leave New England for the non-conference schedule and face schools only from the Northeast until January.
-BU plays all three Boston-area schools in the first four games of the season, starting with its season opener against NU.
-In total, the Terriers play six schools from Massachusetts in the first half of their season.
-Every non-conference road game is a day-trip, as the Terriers play at Harvard, Dartmouth, UMass Lowell, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

PATRIOT LEAGUE NETWORK
-The Patriot League Network, in collaboration with Campus Insiders, enters its third season this year.
-The Patriot League will live-stream hundreds of its men's and women's sporting events, add studio programming and grow distribution on multiple platforms and devices.
-All BU women's basketball home games and road conference games that are not part of a television package will be available to watch for free on PLN.