Pirates Head to Connecticut to Take On #1 Ranked Huskies

Published: Friday, January 2, 2026

by Oren Mouton

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Seton Hall Pirates (10-4, 4-1) return to action on Saturday night as they square off against one of the most dangerous teams in women's college basketball, the UConn Huskies (14-0, 5-0). Seton Hall has improved to a NET ranking of 45, while UConn holds strong with its ranking as the number one overall team in the NCAA.

Seton Hall averages 73.1 points per game, and its defense is ranked ninth nationally, forcing 18.9 turnovers per game while averaging 10.1 steals and generating 6.1 blocks per game. Their defense only allows their opponents to average 61.6 points per game.

They take care of the basketball fairly well, only turning the ball over themselves 14.7 times per game.  

Seton Hall enters this matchup carrying momentum on a three-game winning streak, looking to take that energy into Hartford. The Pirates have shown growth on both sides of the floor with a balance of young talent and veteran leadership.

Tony Bozzella’s group has been at its best when playing with pace, physicality, and defensive discipline. These are all things that will be crucial when going against a Huskies team that thrives on ball movement and efficiency. 

Senior transfer Mariana Valenzuela has been an X-Factor for the Pirates this season, posting career highs in every major stat. Her against star Huskies forward Sarah Strong will be one of the main matchups to watch for this game.

Additionally, containing Azzi Fudd and making sure that she does not get into a scoring rhythm will be a key to pulling off an upset for the Pirates.

The Huskies play with a level of intensity that punishes mistakes and turns defense into offense, so they will be looking to force turnovers. For the Huskies, they could be missing KK Arnold once again, who has missed time with a nasal fracture.

This means that Allie Ziebell could get the start again, or UConn will switch it up and go with Kayleigh Heckel. The Huskies will also be missing Ayanna Patterson, Caroline Ducharme, Ice Brady, and Morgan Cheli.

UConn holds a dominant edge in the all-time series record of 61-10. In the most recent meeting, the Huskies defeated the Pirates in Walsh Gymnasium last season, behind 23 points from Graduate Paige Bueckers.

Catch Chris Heite and Jack Pine on the call for a 12:00 P.M. tipoff on Saturday between the Pirates and Huskies on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Oren Mouton can be reached at oren.mouton@student.shu.edu 

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