Pirates' Season Comes to an End with WNIT Loss to St. Joseph's

(Photo: SHU Athletics)

By: Dalton Allison

(South Orange, NJ)- The Pirates were unable to hold off Amanda Fioravanti down low as they dropped to St. Joseph's 75-57 in the first round of the WNIT Tournament.

At tipoff, it appeared that the Pirates were coming out firing on all cylinders, as Shadeen Samuels won the tip and quickly tossed it to Inja Butina for a quick layup to open the game up 2-0.

The tone of the game would quickly change however, as the Hawks opened up an aggressive down-low attack on the Pirates. With 4:51 left in the first quarter, the Pirates found themselves in an early 12-8 hole.

St. Joseph's senior class was a deciding factor in the game. Early on, Fioravanti set the tone in the post. She outmuscled many Pirates down low in the post, as she bullied her way to 19 points and five rebounds in the game.

Foul trouble plagued the Pirates early and often, as both Butina and JaQuan Jackson had three fouls tacked on them after one quarter of play.

The Hawks began to distance themselves during the second quarter, as they started to wear down the Pirates. It was astonishing that the Hawks didn't wear themselves out, as all of their starters registered over 35 minutes. Hawks senior Chelsea Woods hit a buzzer beater shot to end the first half, as they led the Pirates 39-28. That shot was just one of the many Woods made on the night, as she dropped 20 on the Pirates.

"I've always said it's very hard to beat seniors, and Woods and Fioravanti are both really good seniors. They showed it today by really just dominating us," Head Coach Tony Bozzella said after the game.

A bright spot on the night was Selena Philoxy, who seemed to be the only offensive answer for the Pirates on the evening. With 4:30 left in the third, she drove to the lane and floated in a layup, even drawing a foul.

Entering the fourth, the Pirates trailed 61-46. Coach Bozella attributed the score to St. Joseph's just wanting it more.

"From playing to coaching, from emotion and wanting to win more in advance, it's just disappointing," Coach Bozzella said.

Philoxy continued to rack up points in the fourth quarter, totaling a team high 13 points on the game. Her efforts alone were not enough however, and the Pirates fell 75-57.

This loss dropped the Pirates down to a 16-16 overall record for the season, and knocks them out of the WNIT. It was the final game for senior JaQuan Jackson, as she finished with five points.

Dalton Allison can be reached at dalton.allison@student.shu.edu.