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Preview: Seton Hall Takes On Creighton in Highly Anticipated Big East Tournament Quarterfinals Matchup

Date: March 4, 2022

By: Jimmy Bliss

Seton Hall's Lauren Park-Lane looks to score on offense during a home game vs. Creighton.

Kayla Fonseca/WSOU Sports

Eight teams remain in a battle to determine the Big East conference champion. Up next, a bout between the Creighton Blue Jays (20-8, 15-5 conference) and the Seton Hall Pirates (18-11, 12-8 conference).

The Seton Hall women’s basketball team is coming off a 58-39 victory over the Butler Bulldogs from the first round of the conference tournament.

This affair comes less than two weeks after their last meeting. Seton Hall went toe-to-toe with Creighton on Feb. 20, matching them for 50 minutes. But ultimately, the Pirates fell, 97-91, in double overtime.

Emma Ronsiek inspired the Blue Jays to the win, notching an impressive 26-point, 13-rebound double-double. Morgan Maly also played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring 17 points.

Overall, Creighton shot 42.9% from the field, 32.5% from three, and 78.3% from the free throw line. Nearly one-fifth of the Blue Jays points came from free throws, as they shot 18/23.

On the flip side, Andra Espinoza-Hunter put up a game-high 35 points, including going 6/8 from three-point land. Lauren Park-Lane also notched a double-double, scoring 24 points and dishing 12 assists while playing all 50 minutes.

In this contest, Seton Hall shot 45.6% from the field, 41.7% from three and 81.8% from the free throw line.

In the other game, Creighton defeated the Hall, 83-60, in Omaha, Neb. Ronsiek dominated the Pirates, scoring 27 points on 12/16 shooting from the field. Seton Hall’s big three had a disappointing game, as they combined for just 15 points.

Saturday’s game will feature three players from the All-Big East first team, with Ronsiek serving as the lone representative for the Blue Jays, while Park-Lane and Cooks round out the trifecta.

Ronsiek averaged 15 points-per-game this regular season and look to improve on that in this coming game. Park-Lane tallied 17.4 points and 7.5 assists-per-game, and Cooks collected 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds-per-game. But the star-power doesn’t stop there.

This matchup will also incorporate a couple of players selected to the All-Big East second team, with Andra Espinoza-Hunter and Lauren Jensen being given that honor.

Espinoza-Hunter compiled 16.2 points and 5.4 rebounds-per-game this season for the Pirates. Jensen also accumulated impressive numbers for the Blue Jays, registering 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds-per-game.

This game appears to be a must-win game for head coach Tony Bozzella’s team. Holding an 18-11 record, Seton Hall is on the outside looking in at the women’s NCAA tournament.

The Pirates may need to win the Big East conference tournament to get a bid into the “Big Dance.” They will put every ounce of effort into the quarterfinals game because they know their season most likely depends on it.

Creighton enters this one as the third seed in the Big East and are comfortably in the field for the tournament. The Blue Jays are currently projected to be an eight-seed, so a win here may bump them up in the standings.

Either way, whoever wins this game will certainly have to earn it. Make sure to tune into 89.5 FM WSOU at 9 p.m. for pregame coverage, before the game tips off at 9:30 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Joe Matthews and Jonathan Heite will have the call.

Jimmy Bliss can be reached at james.bliss@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Game Previews, Sports, Women's Basketball

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