Seton Hall’s WBIT Journey Begins as Missouri Comes to Walsh Gym

Published: Thursday, March 19, 2026

by Caitlin Barrar

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall Pirates’ (19-12, 12-9) quest for the WBIT championship begins Thursday night in Walsh Gym when they take on No. 4 Missouri (16-16, 4-12).

Before they were selected to participate in the WBIT, fans last saw the Pirates in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament where they fell to Villanova, 62-48. 

Seton Hall put together a disappointing offensive performance against the Wildcats shooting just 17-for-52 from the floor. Apart from the injury bug plaguing the team heading into the game, fatigue settled in, and the Pirates were unable to capitalize on open shot opportunities. 

Zahara Bishop and Jordana Codio led the scoring with 13 points apiece. Despite a tough start, the Pirates were only outscored by two in the final 34 minutes of the game. But, the effort was not enough to dig themselves out of the hole that Villanova’s early offensive surge created. 

Still, the determination and toughness the Pirates showed all season long earned them another postseason opportunity — this time to face a Missouri team that finished 4-12 in a year where the SEC is sending ten teams to the NCAA Tournament. 

The Tigers ended their regular season on a seven-game skid, including a loss to Alabama in the first round of the SEC Tournament, 65-48. In that one, Missouri hit just 25% of their shots and had more turnovers (eight) than made field goals (seven) before intermission. 

Senior forward Jordana Reisma headlined the Tigers' underwhelming offense with 15 points and five rebounds. Their leading scorer on the season, Grace Slaughter, finished with an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. The junior guard averaged 18.6 points per game to go along with a team-best 6.7 rebounds that solidified her position on the All-SEC Second Team. 

On the season, Missouri ranked 33rd in the country in three-point percentage at 34.9%. The Tigers also ranked first in the SEC in free-throw percentage at 77.9%. 

This marks Missouri’s first appearance in the WBIT, as well as the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Seton Hall. 

As for the Pirates, they are the only team to compete all three years in the tournament since its debut in 2024. Seton Hall is 1-2 over the first two years. They fell to Saint Joseph’s in 2024 before defeating Quinnipiac and then lost to Portland in the first round last season.

With two weeks of rest under their belt, Seton Hall needs to come out sharp and capitalize on their offensive opportunities. The Pirates will also need Savannah Catalon and company’s stifling defense to limit the Tigers’ success beyond the arc.

Despite the adversity they have faced all season long, the Pirates are looking to prove they are built to make a deep postseason run. A win would send them to face the winner of No. 1 BYU and Alabama A&M. Tip-off is set for 7:00 P.M. with Jack Pine and Chris Heite on the call for 89.5 FM WSOU.

Caitlin Barrar can be reached at caitlin.barrar@student.shu.edu

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