Seton Hall seeks first BIG EAST Tournament Championship ever facing DePaul

ROSEMONT, ILL -- The Seton Hall women’s basketball team is making history on a daily basis in the month of March this season, and on Tuesday night at Allstate Arena, the Pirates will play in one of the biggest games in the program’s 42 years.

The team standing between SHU and its first ever Big East Tournament championship is the program that is the reason for why the tournament is being played in Chicago. It was thought that when the new Big East started, an established program and the favorite in the league, DePaul, would receive the advantage of having the tournament be in the Blue Demons’ backyard.

This season, the reigning conference champions have been swept away by Seton Hall, and the Pirates have the opportunity to settle any debate on who really is at the top of the Big East when they face the Blue Demons for the tournament crown.

It is The Hall’s first appearance in the conference tournament championship game since 1995, and it will be the first meeting with the Blue Demons in the postseason.

The Pirates come off a 72-60 victory over St. John’s on Monday, in which graduate point guard Ka-Deidre Simmons scored 20 points to go along with eight assists, matching the most in a Big East Tournament game for a Pirate ever.

The key for SHU on Tuesday will be whether the Pirates can continue to dominate down low. In the season sweep over the Blue Demons, Big East Coach of the Year Tony Bozzella's team has combined for 96 points in the paint. It's not so much that SHU has someone that can consistently post up down low, but it's the nation's only backcourt with with three players averaging more than 17 points per game that is relentless in attacking.

The Blue Demons found a way to edge backcourt on Monday night, 58-55, behind 22 points and 10 rebounds for Megan Villanova. Averaging 14.5 points per game during the tournament, Podkowa has given Doug Bruno’s team a big boost. The Blue Demons lead the league and are one of the best teams in the country averaging 87.1 points per contest. Big East Player of the Year Brittany Podkowa is compiling a league-best 19.9 points per game. Hrynko is at its best when DePaul is getting assistance from complementary players like Hrynko, Podkowa Jenkins (12.2 Chanise) and Jessica January (12.1 ppg).

My Take: If Seton Hall plays efficient basketball and gets to the rim, ppg does not have an answer for the Pirates inside. For the Blue Demons, keeping an explosive player like DePaul Richardson-Smith in check is crucial. With the way Simmons is playing right now, she is going to get her own just as Tabatha will. Hrynko

Tip-off at 8 p.m. ET on 89.5 WSOU and WSOU.net. Coverage starts at 7:45. Follow @WSOUSports for updates and call 973-761-9768 following the game to voice your opinion on a special edition of Hall Line. John WSOUSports and George Fanta will call the action from Balekji Arena.

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