Credit: GR Productions
Pirates Return Home for Clash Against Fordham
Published: Thursday, November 20, 2025
by Thomas Mazurowski
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall Pirates (3-0) return home to face the Fordham Rams (3-2) on Thursday, November 20 at 7:00 P.M. in Historic Walsh Gymnasium. The Hall triumphed over Fordham in last year’s matchup, besting the Rams 67-44 at home.
The Pirates enter the match coming off of a strong West Coast swing, closing out their time away with a 79-57 win against the Pacific Tigers. Florida State transfer Mariana Valenzuela shot six of twelve from the field, including a pair of three pointers, leading the team with 16 points on the day.
Another key contributor was sophomore guard Jada Eads. Despite shooting only four of eleven in the field, a pair of shots made from the arc boosted her total to 14 points as she converted seven fouls drawn to four successful free-throws.
Strong court presence won the game for the Hall. The Pirates secured 31 boards, producing 18 second-chance points, and 26 turnovers were forced by the suffocating defense. Seton Hall led from buzzer to buzzer with the help of their physical dominance.
Pacific’s unusual scoring reflected the Pirate’s defensive prowess. Lia Yergensen and Sophia Mindermann scored more points off the bench than the combined starting-five for Pacific, 25 points to 24.
At the other end of the court, Fordham heads into Thursday’s game coming off a 59-67 loss against Buffalo University. Junior guard and offensive powerhouse Alexis Black took a less prominent role in the Rams’ production, only putting up 13 points and four assists. She had scored 20 points in each of her previous two games.
Senior forward Emma Wilson-Saltos matched her scoring, putting up 13 of her own, with eight rebounds as well. Fellow forward Ornella Niankan performed almost identically, with 13 points and seven rebounds to her name.
The game itself was back and forth. The lead swapped hands 11 times throughout the game. Fordham’s aggressive transitions undoubtedly helped, with the Rams picking up 20 points from the fast break.
Ultimately, shooting from range was the decider. The Rams matched the Bulls output everywhere but the three-point line, where Buffalo took eight baskets compared to Fordham’s three.
Seton Hall’s overwhelming defense is the key to victory in this matchup. Against a Rams’ team that is strong in the paint, forcing shots from range and slowing down Fordham’s fast-paced play will prove to be decisive.
The Pirates should avoid being too aggressive, as the Rams were nearly perfect from the charity stripe in their last contest, going 18-20. Overall, the team averages 67.6% on free throws – a step down, but still formidable.
The Pirates will look to remain undefeated on Thursday night, as Jake Marcial and Jacob Glick will have the call for 89.5 WSOU.
Thomas Mazurowski can be reached at thomas.mazurowski@student.shu.eduPosted in: sports,