The Pirates were unable to hang with No.14 DePaul at home, 86-76

Date: February 9, 2020

By: Jose Balderrama

The Seton Hall Pirates were not able to pick up the win Sunday against the No.14 ranked team in the nation, the DePaul Blue Demons. DePaul came out on top by the score of 86-76 in a hard-fought victory.

The Pirates came into the game with a three-game win streak and were looking to make it four after putting together some very impressive performances in the past few weeks. Seton Hall is now 15-9 on the season overall and an 8-5 conference record.

DePaul came in with a two-game winning streak and they were able to extend the streak with a solid offensive performance. They are now 22-3 on the season, while maintaining a near-perfect 12-1 conference record. The Hall were able to keep it close for the majority of the first half, with both teams often trading baskets throughout stretches of the half. However, the Blue Demons were able to maintain the lead for almost the whole half and they were able to create some separation on the scoreboard to end the half as they ended the period on a 6-0 run.

The Pirates fell behind 50-40 heading into the locker room primarily due to the large discrepancy in rebounding. DePaul won the rebounding battle 25-10 in the first half, with nine of those being offensive rebounds. Perhaps the other most significant factor that contributed to DePaul’s lead was the impressive first half by Chante Stonewall. Stonewall was unstoppable as she finished the first half with 24 points, shooting 10-14 from the field.

The Pirates could not slow her down, whether it was from three-point range or inside the paint, Stonewall made the Hall pay. The Pirates were able to make a run in the second half, especially early, cutting the lead back to five within one minute of the second half. They were able to take the lead at one point in the third quarter after a Shadeen Samuels layup, but they relinquished it on the next possession.

They had very active hands in the third forcing multiple turnovers and taking advantage on the other side of the ball. DePaul had 16 turnovers by the time the third quarter ended, but they did not turn the ball over a single time in the fourth, finishing with 16 for the entire game. Their defense was also able to limit Chante Stonewall’s offensive impact, as she only scored five points in the entire second half, finishing with 29 total points.

The most pleasant surprise for the Pirates in this game was the play of guard Mya Jackson, who finished with 19 points off the bench, leading the team. She made a tremendous impact on the court, filling in perfectly for Alexis Lewis who was struggling with foul trouble all game long. The Pirates fought until the end but were not able to finish strongly, as DePaul’s composure and experience showed to close out the game.

Make sure to catch the Pirates’ next game, as they will be taking on Providence next Friday away from home, at the Alumni Hall.

Jose Balderrama can be reached at jose.balderrama@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, WSOU, Women's Basketball