Pirates Unable to Weather the Storm against St. John’s

Published: Sunday, February 22, 2026

by David Martino

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- The Seton Hall Pirates (18-9, 12-6) fell to the St. John’s Red Storm (21-9, 11-8) in a battle at the Historic Walsh Gymnasium. They fell 59-56 in the final seconds of the game due to untimely fouls and sloppy defensive play.

This loss for the Hall is not without its bright spots however with freshman Ari Woodard taking a major step forward in terms of leading this team, putting up an impressive 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Jordana Codio put up a respectable 14 points and four rebounds, an impressive showing against a tough Red Storm defense on senior day. Mariana Valenzuela had seven points and 11 rebounds, and Savannah Catalon posted 10 points, five rebounds and three assists, all solid stat lines, however the Pirates were unable to get it done. 

As for the final seconds of the game that could have brought it to overtime, it was a pass to Codio on the nearside corner of the Pirates’ bench for a game tying three, coming up short and hitting the rim as time expired.

However, the fact that this game went to the wire shows that even without Jada Eads, Ja’kahla Craft and Shailyn Pinkney, this team can still put up a fight while giving the freshmen valuable minutes.

While Woodard made some rookie mistakes, this is to be expected, and her development can be seen each game.

Next up for the Pirates is another home game in Historic Walsh Gymnasium against the Villanova Wildcats, their last of the regular season. This team, despite being shorthanded, has a lot of potential left for this season, as was shown today despite a tough shooting day from beyond the arc.

Join Lauren Reese and Ryder Nuesell on the call for this matchup at Walsh Gym on Thursday, February 26 at 7:00 P.M. on 89.5 FM WSOU.

David Martino can be reached at david.martino@student.shu.edu

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