Credit: GR Productions
Catalon, Pirates Prevail Over DePaul Blue Demons, 76-67
Published: Friday, February 28, 2025
by Chris Heite
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall (20-8, 12-5) defeated DePaul (17-12, 11-6) 76-67 in a massive senior night victory on Thursday. It was back and forth until the end, and the resilient Pirates came out on top.
The first half proved to be a good one, with the Pirates and Blue Demons battling closely throughout the first half. DePaul brought the intensity early, with a 11-7 lead in the early stages of the first quarter. The Blue Demons were on top at the end of the first, with a 16-12 lead. The Hall did not back down after the tough first quarter though.
In triumphant fashion, the Pirates stormed back with a 10-0 run, taking the lead back for the first time since the beginning of the game. Savannah Catalon led the way with 13 and had Faith Masonius right behind her with 11.
Momentum was the name of the game in the first half, and it went both ways. The two squads proved to be explosive on the offensive end while making unfortunate mistakes on defense.
The Pirates started off the second half slow, with fouls on the first three possessions. Foul trouble has been an issue for Seton Hall in the past, and it certainly did not help the Hall at the beginning of the third frame.
Yet despite the momentum shifter of foul trouble, Catalon reset the tone for the Pirates with her scoring from both inside and outside the arc. She proved to be just as dominant in the second half as she was in the first.
Amari Wright also got up to double digits, making her impact in her final game at Walsh Gym. Wright was one of the keys to the offense, utilizing both her ability to see plays and create assists, as well as her own scoring ability.
At the end of the third quarter, Catalon had her career high in points tied with 26. At the end of the game, Catalon finished with 36, an unbelievable career high.
DePaul hurt themselves in the fourth quarter with three of their top scorers getting into foul trouble with just under five minutes to go. The fouls proved to be culprit for the slow pace DePaul played throughout the second half.
The Blue Demons were able to cut the lead to as close as five in the fourth quarter but inevitably faced their two top scorers fouling out. The fouls truly had DePaul in trouble down the stretch of this game.
It was not easy for the Hall however, as they had their own struggles with turnovers and over 20 fouls. Both Yaya Lops and Kaydan Lawson, who both were pivotal in this matchup, fouled out.
Yet the Pirates came out on top 76-67, in one of the biggest wins of the season thus far. Catalon cemented her legacy in this one, with the first 30+ point game since Lauren Park-Lane played on the BIG EAST courts.
The Pirates finish off the regular season at Xavier this Sunday. Bobby Steiner and Mike Federico will be on the call. Jackson Shank and Jacob Nieczypor will break down the action in the studio of WSOU.
Chris Heite can be reached at christopher.heite@student.shu.edu.Posted in: sports,