Seton Hall Falls to No. 13 Rutgers, 62-46

Box Score
Seton Hall forward Arminda Moreno, right, grabs Rutgers forward Davalyn Cunningham's arm as they race for a loose ball. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Karlita Washington scored 10 of her career-high 12 points in a game-ending 28-8 run and No. 13 Rutgers defeated Seton Hall 62-46 on Wednesday in the Pirates' first game since a dormitory fire killed three students last week.

Tasha Pointer had 16 points and Tammy Sutton-Brown added 12 for Rutgers (13-4, 6-2 Big East), but the story of the game was the valiant effort by the Pirates in the wake of the tragedy.

Seton Hall (6-9, 0-5) was on the verge of pulling one of the biggest upsets of the season when it used a 10-0 run to open a 35-30 lead with 11:47 to go.

Rutgers went to its press to stem the tide but it didn't really get in gear until Pointer hit a 3-pointer to get the Scarlet Knights within 38-37 with 9:36 to go. It also started a 14-point run.

Washington, a backup junior guard, gave Rutgers the lead for good with a floater with 7:18 to go. After Pointer made two free throws to extend the lead to 41-38, Washington made a 3-pointer and added a baseline jumper for a 46-38 lead with 5:25 left.

Seton Hall, which was led by Arminda Morena with 11 points, didn't threaten after that. The Pirates turned the ball over 24 times.

Just before the starting lineups were introduced, a moment of silence was observed for the students who died in last week's early-morning fire. Players and coaches wore blue and white ribbons to honor the victims.

A 3-pointer off the glass by Yolanda Rouse got the Pirates to 26-20 at the half and their run early in the second half put them in position to win, but Rutgers had too much talent.

The Scarlet Knights won despite losing leading scorer Shawnetta Stewart (15.9 points) with a sprained right knee early in the first half. The extent of the injury wasn't immediately known.

The game was the first for Seton Hall since Jan. 15. It postponed games against Boston College and Syracuse in the wake of the fire.