Photo by David Siegrist of JSN

Seton Hall Women’s Basketball Overwhelmed by UConn Huskies

The Seton Hall women's basketball team faced the No.5 ranked UConn Huskies earlier this week. With just seven girls available to play due to a plethora of injuries, the Huskies managed to get the win in dominating fashion, 103-58. As discouraging as the score looks, though, the Pirates had some positive takeaways. 

Seton Hall’s Disastrous First Half 

In the opening quarter, the Pirates struggled to knock down shots, however they still managed to hit 21 field goals. Fifth-year senior, Sydney Cooks, scored four of the Pirates' nine points. The Pirates have to find a way to be more consistent from the field, ultimately shooting 19% from the field for the quarter. The turnovers also began accumulating and gave the Huskies plenty of accessible transition opportunities.

“We planned on trying to utilize our big guys as much as possible,” Huskies HC Geno Auriemma emphasized in the post-game press conference. “We felt we had more advantage in the lane and have had success without big guys getting to the free throw line a lot and controlling the tempo of the game.”

UConn junior Aaliyah Edwards, quickly made her presence felt by applying crippling pressure defensively. In fact, she forced several turnovers for the Pirates and was the Huskies' leading scorer heading into the second quarter. The pressure Edwards applied helped set the tone for the remainder of the game, as the Pirates fell to a 16-point deficit in the opening quarter, 25-9. 

At the start of the second quarter, the Pirates fought back by building their defensive intensity up. Unfortunately, the Pirates' intensity resulted in accumulating fouls. Seton Hall’s 2022-23 season-leading scorer, senior PG Lauren Park-Lane, picked up multiple fouls along with fifth-year senior Jayla Jordan

“In the second half, Lauren picking up her third foul didn’t affect rotations,” Pirates HC Tony Bozzella expressed in the post-game press conference. “She’s played with multiple fouls before and it’s natural for her to pick up fouls playing good players.”

For the Huskies, Edwards' relentless defense held strong and led to many scores in transition. Ultimately, she finished the game with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.  

A Half to Build On for the Pirates

In the second half, the Huskies just proved to apply pressure that the Pirates couldn’t counter. The Pirates did, however, see promise and a ton of fight out of Jordan, who ultimately recorded 19 points and five rebounds for the game. It just wasn't enough to hold the Huskies down. When the Pirates appeared to be gaining momentum, the Huskies quickly extinguished it. 

All in all, this game didn’t represent the Pirates' best outing, however there are things to build off going forward. The Pirates' upcoming matchup will take place on the road at Marquette University.