NEWARK (Interstat) — Seton Hall will open its women’s basketball season by hosting Mercyhurst on Tuesday at Prudential Center. The Pirates will be the home team, while the Lakers are the visiting side. The NCAA Division I matchup will feature the Pirates against the Lakers, with both programs entering the game at 0-0.

Seton Hall will look to establish early rhythm at home after finishing its most recent campaign with a 67-57 loss to Missouri on March 19. The Pirates return to their home floor for the first of several early-season tests, and the opener gives them a chance to set a tone before a demanding stretch. Seton Hall’s next ten games include home dates against Indiana State, Fairfield, North Carolina State, Rider and Princeton, a neutral-site meeting involving South Florida, and a trip to Rutgers, along with road matchups at Auburn, Connecticut and Butler. The early schedule offers a mix of power-conference challenges and regional opponents.

Mercyhurst, meanwhile, will begin its season on the road after an 81-60 loss to Binghamton on March 19. The Lakers will face a Seton Hall team with home-court advantage in their first game of the year. Mercyhurst’s upcoming schedule includes home games against Penn St.-Beaver, Akron, Siena, Canisius, Thiel and Niagara, plus road contests at Ohio State, Saint Bonaventure, Colgate and Cleveland State. The opener at Prudential Center will provide an early measure for a Lakers squad playing in a Division I setting against a Big East opponent.

The game is one of several season-opening opportunities for both sides. Seton Hall will aim to use its home crowd and experience against a Mercyhurst team that is also seeking its first result of the new season. For the Pirates, the matchup is the first step in a schedule that quickly moves toward higher-profile competition. For the Lakers, the trip to Newark represents a chance to compete against a program from a major conference before returning to a slate that includes several home dates. With no prior results this season, the opener will serve as the first benchmark for each team and a chance to evaluate rotations against unfamiliar competition.

Mercyhurst’s roster and Seton Hall’s roster will both be looking to start the year with a victory. The game will be played at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and is scheduled for Tuesday. Both teams enter with clean records, making the opener an early chance to build momentum before the remainder of their nonconference schedules unfold. The opener is the first game on each team’s current schedule.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Seton Hall 70, Mercyhurst 60.