Coming into Thursday night's game, there was a lot at stake for Seton Hall and Drexel in the Women's NIT. In the end, the Pirates, who trailed by as much as nine points in the fourth quarter, defeated Drexel, 78-71, to advance to the WNIT Elite Eight.
Seton Hall was on fire to start the game at 9-2, getting early shots when they needed it. Some of the players that stood out for Seton Hall were Lauren Park-Lane, who finished with 29 points 11 assists and Andra Espinoza-Hunter with 12 points. They were hitting the three-pointers at a high rate which was a significant factor in tonight's win.
The Pirates held a 35-32 lead going into halftime, but there was a game of runs in the second half. Drexel made a push late as Seton Hall turned the ball over a lot in the half. Drexel had a solid third quarter going into the fourth. Players that played great for Drexel were Keishana Washington, who finished with 11 points and Hannah Nihill, who added 17 points.
Both teams picked up many fouls as Drexel was up by nine at one point in the final quarter. Seton Hall made a run to tie it up and eventually take the lead. Park-Lane and Espinoza-Hunter hit some critical shots to help the Pirates advance. Sidney Cooks was fantastic on the boards finishing with ten rebounds to go with 19 points. It was a nail-biter with Seton Hall holding their composure and hitting big free throws at the end.
Seton Hall Pirates will now travel to Manhattan to face Columbia for their quarterfinal matchup on Monday, March 28th at 8:00 pm eastern. Seton Hall, led by head coach Anthony Bozzella will now look to continue this impressive run with his team.
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