Pirates Escape The Capital With Close Win Over Georgetown

Published: Thursday, January 29, 2026

by Thomas Mazurowski

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Seton Hall Pirates (15-6, 9-3 CONF) earned a hard fought win against the Georgetown Hoyas (12-9, 5-7 CONF) on Thursday, taking a 58-52 victory after a physical, back-and-forth matchup.

Mariana Valenzuela led the Pirates’ offensive effort with 19 points, remaining a threat from down low and beyond the arc for the duration of the game. Savannah Catalon followed closely with 17 points, including a pair of three-pointers and three steals.

Physical play and aggressive defense defined this game. Seton Hall gave up 14 points off of 18 turnovers, while Georgetown threw away 20 balls for 16 points. Both teams were forced into taking haphazard shots in the face of defenders throughout the four quarters.

This physicality was prominent from the very first minutes of the game. Full-court presses and strong perimeters forced both teams to rain down three-point attempts. Catalon sank both of her threes in the first quarter, joined by teammates Ja’Kahla Craft and Jordana Codio each landing one of their own.

On the other end, Brianna Scott sniped one from beyond the arc, while Destiny Agubata sent up several of her own attempts, keeping the Hoyas within striking distance at 22-16 favoring the Pirates by the end of the first frame.

Georgetown maintained possession early into the second quarter, where the pace slowed to a crawl. A three-pointer from Summer Davis was the only field goal for the first five minutes of the period. After a number of turnovers and foul shots, Catalon broke through on the fast break for a layup. Khia Miller nabbed her first three of the day. A competitive period with forced errors on either side left the score at 31-26 entering halftime. 

The Pirates picked up the tempo once again in the third, but were unable to take advantage of turnovers. A 9-3 run by the Hoyas capped off by a midrange jumper from Laila Jewett put the Pirates behind 34-35.

Smart shot selection on a 7-0 run put Seton Hall ahead once more, but further production from the home team left the Pirates behind 42-41 entering the final frame.

Brianna Scott fouled out early into the fourth, putting Georgetown’s offense at a disadvantage. Craft then came out with a corner three that sparked a 9-0 hot streak for the Pirates.

Shortly after, Shailyn Pinkney broke through the Hoya defense for a layup, before blocking an attempt from Khia Miller on the other end.

Despite this play, it was still back and forth in the final frame, with Seton Hall staying ahead by just a handful of points for the remainder of the matchup. Jewett hit a last minute three from deep, but it was too late, as the Pirates came out on top. 

Seton Hall shot 45% from the three-point line, coping well with Georgetown’s strong perimeter defense. However, Georgetown had 35 rebounds compared to Seton Hall’s 26, amounting to numerous second-chance possessions.

The road victory may prove pivotal to the Pirates’ confidence entering February, where the Hall is set to face the likes of St. John’s and Villanova for the second spot in the BIG EAST.

Conference play continues this Sunday against the Creighton Bluejays back home in South Orange. Jacob Glick and Jake Marcial will be on the call on 89.5 FM WSOU, with coverage beginning at 2:30 P.M. and tipoff at 3:00.

Thomas Mazurowski can be reached at thomas.mazurowski@student.shu.edu 

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