Pirates Take On DePaul Blue Demons in Windy City

Published: Saturday, February 1, 2025

by Darren Worrell

CHICAGO, ILL. - After a strong 7-2 start in BIG EAST play, the Seton Hall women’s basketball team (15-5, 7-2) heads to Chicago for a conference showdown against the DePaul Blue Demons (11-12, 6-4). While DePaul leads the all-time series 24-9, the Pirates have been in control recently, winning four of the last five matchups, including a dominant 91-78 victory in the first round of last year’s conference tournament.

The Pirates come into this one riding a two-game winning streak, fresh off a commanding 71-48 win over Butler at historic Walsh Gymnasium. They started off slow but turned it up in a big way, going on a 23-0 run for over 12 minutes. Their defense was relentless, forcing 28 turnovers, just two shy of their season-high 30 against Providence.

Savannah Catalon, in just her second game back, led all scorers with 15 points, but it was her defensive energy that stood out, racking up six steals. Jada Eads added 14 points despite not having her best shooting night; she stepped up when it mattered, knocking down key shots and making plays on defense with five steals. Faith Masonius fouled out but still made an impact, scoring 12 points on an efficient 6-for-10 shooting.

On the other hand, DePaul is coming off a tough 84-58 home loss to No. 6 UConn. Despite the outcome, Jorie Allen and Taylor Johnson-Matthews lead all scorers with 19 points each.

Slowing down DePaul’s dynamic duo will be a major challenge for Seton Hall. Allen, a BIG EAST Preseason Honorable Mention, leads the entire conference in scoring with 19.6 points per game. She is a dominant interior presence, and the Pirates will want to avoid sending her to the line, where she shoots a solid 84%. Johnson Matthews is another key threat, averaging 14.2 points per game while shooting 36.5% from three.

For Seton Hall to come away with a win, they will need to focus on four key areas, the first being stay out of foul trouble. The Pirates committed 24 fouls in their last game, which could be costly against a team with strong free-throw shooters like Allen. The second is to force turnovers. DePaul struggles with ball security; they had 20 turnovers in their last game. Seton Hall’s defense has been suffocating all season, and they need to take advantage of DePaul’s mistakes.

The next is to contain Allen. The Pirates must double-team her and force someone else to step up offensively. If they can disrupt her rhythm, they will have a great chance at securing the win. Lastly, take smart shots; whatever is working offensively, they need to stick with it and avoid forcing bad looks.

Seton Hall will look to keep their momentum going when they take on DePaul. Tipoff is set for 3:00 P.M., with Spencer Gonzales and Michael Federico on the call for 89.5 FM WSOU. Pregame coverage begins at 2:30 P.M. with Lauren Reese and Pat Corsello breaking it all down.

Darren Worrell can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu. 

 

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