Seton Hall
Game preview: Seton Hall faces a serious test in Illinois against No.15 DePaul
Date: January 9, 2020By: Esmeralda Morales
The Seton Hall Women’s Basketball team (10-5 overall, 3-1 conference) will take on the No. 15 ranked DePaul Blue Demons (13-2 overall, 3-0 conference) on Friday at 8 p.m. from McGrath-Phillips Arena in Chicago, Ill.
The Pirates won their previous game against the Georgetown Hoyas (4-11 overall, 1-3 conference), 79-60. In a game where Seton Hall controlled from the beginning, they held the lead for a total of 39:37 of the possible 40 minutes, they were unable to score during the last four minutes of the game. During this scoring drought for the Pirates, they allowed the Hoyas to go on a 15-point scoring run.
Taylor Barnes led the way for Georgetown scoring 26 points, 19 coming in the second half. Desiree Elmore was the leading scorer for Seton Hall, she finished the game with 21 points.
The DePaul Blue Demons are currently on a four-game winning streak and are perfect in conference play. Their most recent win came against the Creighton Bluejays (11-4 overall, 3-1 conference) with a final score of 74-71. The game was decided by free throws made by Chante Stonewall and Kelly Campbell.
Stonewell missed her first free throw attempt but made the second breaking the tied game. Campbell made both of her free throws. After their win, the Blue Demons took over sole possession of first place in the Big East. This will be the first matchup between the Pirates and Blue Demons this season.
The teams spilt the two games that they played against each other last season, with the road team taking the win in each game. Seton Hall with need to focus on protecting and handling the ball cleanly, as DePaul likes to play aggressive and force turnovers.
When teams face the Blue Demons, their opponents average 23.6 turnovers per game. The fewest turnovers they’ve been able to force is 16 against Creighton, which is also the first time all season they have recorded under 20. DePaul is also one of the top ranked teams in the nation in the following offensive categories: they are second in three-point field goals made per game, third in points scored per game with an average of 86.9 points, and fifth for assists with 20.5 per game.
The Pirates have struggled from behind the arc as of late. They have shot at 22.7 percent from three in the last two games. If the Pirates are unable to make their three-point shots fall, they may find it difficult to keep up with the Blue Demons because of their efficiency shooting deep.
The Blue Demons like to pass the ball, so the Pirates will need to find a way to block the passing lane forcing the Blue Demons to take unwanted shots or deflect the ball as it is being passed. The Pirates should also look to apply pressure defensively and use a full court press when possible.
Coverage of the game can be heard on 89.5 FM WSOU starting at 7:45 p.m. with pregame analysis. Jose Feliciano and Chris Russo will have the call.
Esmeralda Morales can be reached at esmeralda.morales@student.shu.edu.
Posted in: Sports, WSOU, Women's Basketball
