WSOU

Recap: Pirates Secure OT Win in 2021 Cancun Challenge vs. Toledo, 68-63

Date: November 26, 2021

By: Jorie Mickens

Seton Hall's Lauren Park-Lane drives to the basket during a game against Toledo in the 2021 Cancun Challenge.

Seton Hall Athletics

The Seton Hall’s women’s basketball team is now 3-2 on the season after defeating the Toledo Rockets in overtime, 68-63, during their second and final game of the 2021 Cancun Challenge on Friday.

The Pirates’ Katie Armstrong had a strong first quarter, scoring a game-high five points in the opening period. But Toledo finished the quarter on a 4-0 run and the Pirates entered the second period with a one-point lead (12-11).

Mya Jackson got on the board early for Seton Hall in the second quarter, as she drilled a three-pointer to give the Pirates a four-point cushion with 9:35 remaining in the first half. Two minutes later, Kailah Harris knocked down a mid-range jumper to push the Pirates’ lead to five (20-15) as there was 7:15 remaining in the second quarter.

A Lauren Park-Lane three-pointer extended Seton Hall’s lead to six with 4:35 remaining in the first half, but the Rockets responded with a 9-4 run to cut the Pirates’ lead to one (29-28).

That said, the Pirates ended the first half on a 5-0 run and led 34-28 entering the halftime break. Park-Lane led Seton Hall in scoring through the first 20 minutes with eight points and Espinoza-Hunter totaled five points, four rebounds and three assists in the first half.

The Rockets came out firing to start the second half, as they opened the third quarter on an 11-6 run and trailed the Pirates by just one with 6:00 remaining in the third. But Seton Hall finished the third quarter on a 7-0 run and headed into the fourth period with a three-point lead (50-47).

The first points of the fourth quarter did not come until the 6:48 mark, as Toledo’s Quinesha Lockett converted a pair of free throws to cut the Pirates’ lead to just one. Espinoza-Hunter responded with a three-pointer nearly a minute later and extended the Pirates lead to four (53-49) with 5:31 remaining in the fourth.

With 1:16 remaining, as the Pirates were down two (57-55), Espinoza-Hunter converted a pair of free throws to even the score at 57. Neither team scored in regulation from that point on, and both squads entered their first overtime period of the young season.

Park-Lane kicked things off with an and-one layup nearly a minute into the overtime period, giving the Pirates a three-point lead (60-57).

And with 32.7 seconds remaining, Jackson made a baseline floater to give Seton Hall a six-point lead, subsequently burying the Rockets and securing Seton Hall’s first victory against Toledo in program history.

Park-Lane totaled a game-high 19 points and nine assists in the win and Espinoza-Hunter scored 18 points and collected five rebounds for the Pirates.

Harris totaled six points and career-high eight rebounds for Seton Hall off the bench as well.

The next time we will see the Pirates in action is this coming Wednesday, as they take on the Iona Gaels in Walsh Gymnasium before their long-awaited matchup with the UConn Huskies on Friday, Dec. 3.

Jorie Mickens is an Assistant Sports Director for WSOU Sports and can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, Women's Basketball, WSOU

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