SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – From tip to buzzer, this was all Seton Hall. The Pirates were dominant in posting a 97-55 victory over Providence in a Big East women’s game at Walsh Gymnasium. Sunday’s matchup saw the hosts race out to a 22-5 lead after the first period. They never looked back.
The points of emphasis:
Fast start. In racing out to a 17-point lead after one period, Seton Hall broke down the opposing defense on dribble penetration, in transition and from three-point range. The Pirate defense was locked in as there were two occasions where Providence committed a shot clock violation. “They forced us into turnovers (23 on the game),” Providence coach Jim Crowley said. “Our shot selection (first period) was not what we wanted as we rushed things. But credit that to Seton Hall’s defense.”
Providence did not quit. Down 38 points after one half, the possibilities of staging a serious comeback are slim and none. The Friars did not quit or pack it in. Seton Hall “won” the second half 44-40. It was quite an improvement, notably on offense, for Providence, who was down 53-15 at intermission.
Bottle this performance. That is what Seton Hall, in an ideal world, would like to do. “You don’t get one of those (games) too often,” Seton Hall coach Tony Bozzella admitted. “Every game in this conference is hard-fought. Overall, as a team, I really like where we are.”
Providence has been competitive. The Friars are 0-7 in Big East play, but until today, every game was close. “That’s what we told our kids,” Seton Hall assistant Pete Cinella who helped with advance scouting, said. “They blew a ten-point lead and lost a tough one at Creighton, they lost by two to Villanova, battled DePaul tough for thirty five minutes and two nights ago lost a close one at St. John’s. They had been right there and we emphasized to our kids to be ready.”
Crowley noted his group, “felt good coming in here. To Seton Hall’s credit they played hard, especially on defense, and never let us get any momentum.”
Looking deeper. Beyond the satisfaction of a 42-point victory, Bozzella saw other things. “We shared the ball,” the coach said. “We made the extra pass.” The Pirates had 18 assists (against seven turnovers) on 34 field goals. Bozzella was also pleased with the performance, off the bench, of Jasmine Smith, who had four points, three assists and no turnovers in 21 minutes. “Jasmine is just playing with so much more confidence,” Bozzella said.
The numbers:
- Possessions: 74
- Offensive efficiency: Seton Hall 131, Providence 74
- Leading scorers: Seton Hall was led by Shadeen Samuels with 23 points on 9 of 11 from the floor and Alexis Lewis with 20 points, shooting 5 of 9 beyond the arc.
Providence was led by Mary Baskerville, 14 points, the lone Friar in double figures, on 6 of 7 in field goal shooting. - Providence was 11 of 11 from the line.
- Seton Hall at 61 percent (14 of 23) from three narrowly matched their 68 percent (15 for 22) shooting from the charity stripe.
- Seton Hall had a 20-0 advantage in second-chance points.
- Records: Seton Hall 12-7 (5-3 Big East), Providence 9-10 (0-7 Big East)
It was women’s basketball alumni day at Seton Hall. Among those in attendance enjoying the Pirate win were Jodi Brooks, one of the greatest Big East women’s players, who played in the 90s, Devin Jefferson, now the head women;’s coach at Stockton (NJ) University, and Kaity Healy, a recent graduate and currently Director of women’s basketball Operations at Holy Cross.
