WSOU

Recap: Hoyas Hold on 74-66 to Hand Pirates Their Fourth-Straight Loss

Date: January 26, 2023

By: Dovid Holtzman

Sidney Cooks against the Hoyas in December 2022.

Kayla Fonseca/WSOU

The Seton Hall Pirates women’s basketball (13-8, 6-5 CONF) lost 74-66 to the Georgetown Hoyas (11-9, 4-7 CONF) in Washington, DC on Wednesday, as their losing streak extends to four games.

The team was streaky in the game, going on a 15-1 run in the second quarter, but failing to score a single field goal for over half of the third. Lauren Park-Lane (20 PTS-5 REB-5 AST) scored 20 points on the night, but the consistent contributors were not the stars: Mya Bembry and Kae Satterfield each tied or broke their single-season high for points in a game.

After suffering three-straight losses in conference play, the Pirates sputtered to a weak start at the beginning of the game in Washington. They shot 3 for 18 from the field and 0% from behind the arc, as the Hoyas leaped out to a 23-8 lead to close the first. Georgetown started off strong, hitting all of their threes and shooting 60% from the field.

The second quarter didn’t open with a more promising look, as the Pirates fell back to a 32-16 deficit, with players missing key shots. Captains Lauren Park-Lane and Sidney Cooks (2 PTS, 4 REB) shot just 1-of-15, and six of the team’s 16 points came on free throws. But they did manage to slow the pace of the game and bring their defense under control.

As the half closed in, the Pirates went on a run to bring the game back to a manageable six-point deficit, as the Hoyas clung to their 40-34 lead. Two layups by Bembry, a pair of free throws by Satterfield, and threes by Park-Lane, Shay Hagans (10 PTS, 6 REB), and Victoria Keenan (3 PTS) sent the team on a 15-1 run.

Still, much remained for the Pirates to overcome: the team was 0-7 on the season when trailing at the half, and the gap proved to be insurmountable.

In the third quarter, Seton Hall briefly brought the game back within four points as Satterfield hit a jumper and two free throws. The tight game was short-lived though, as back-to-back threes by Kennedy Fauntleroy (14-5-3) stretched Georgetown’s lead back out to 11. A near five-minute Pirate scoring drought and 11-straight missed field goals closed out the third, with the game 57-44.

A critical three by Satterfield closed the gap to 11, with just under six minutes left in the fourth. Two Park-Lane jumpers brought the game to 69-59 with 3:43 to go, forcing Georgetown to call their first timeout.

A free throw and a layup by Brianna Scott (6-4-2) stretched the Hoya lead out to 72-61, but a key Park-Lane three brought the game back within eight.

However, it wasn’t enough to reverse the game, as a series of fouls, free throws, and missed shots closed the game out for the Georgetown Hoyas with a final score of 74-66.

A last-minute Park-Lane layup was a landmark moment in her Seton Hall career, as she beat out Dana Wynne (1993-1997) for the No. 6 all-time Women’s Basketball scoring record with 1,624 career points. The tally also brings her closer to the fifth on the list: she needs a mere eight points to tie it.

But her 20 points on the night fail to capture the complete picture: she drained just 6 of her 29 shots and only 2 of her 12 three-point attempts. It was a tough night on the court for both team captains, as Sidney Cooks was taken out early in the game after going 0 for 7 from the field, recording just nine minutes of play on the night. Together, Park-Lane and Cooks missed 30 shots from the field.

 

Seton Hall’s performance was led by two consistent contributors who stood out. Mya Bembry hit 7 of her 11 shots on the night, recording a season-high 14 points to go with her four rebounds—and tying her career-high points record. And Kae Satterfield, playing 27 minutes at center, tied her season-high of 13 points, to go with six rebounds and five assists.

One area where the Pirates were perfect? The free throw line. Seton Hall was 16 for 16 on the night, with six each for Park-Lane and Satterfield. The team struggled on the other end, however, committing 24 fouls, as Hagans, Park-Lane, and Satterfield closed the game with four personals each.

It will be interesting to see what Seton Hall can do in the next few games this season, with upcoming games against DePaul, St. John’s, and Providence. If the captains can play at the level they’ve proven they can perform at, and Bembry, Hagans, and Satterfield consistently contribute, the Pirates are a formidable team as March gets closer and closer.

If the captains miss shots, miss minutes, and perform below their capability, Seton Hall may have to settle for the WNIT in a season where they’ve proven they can do better.

The Pirates next game set for Saturday against DePaul has been rescheduled, so Seton Hall will get a 10-day rest before facing St. John’s in Queens, NY next Saturday, where Ryan Henry and Will Swankie will have the call.

Dovid Holtzman can be reached at dovid.holtzman@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, Women's Basketball

Seton Hall

Seton Hall

Merchandise

wsou store