Seton Hall University
Siena
Women's Hoops Beats Siena, 57-48
11/29/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Richardson-Smith came off the bench to tally her career-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. She also pulled down six boards and shot 3-of-6 from three point range, knocking down a number of clutch shots in a close game late in the second half.
After leading by as many as 13 points (20-7) in the first half, Seton Hall faced a three-point deficit, 36-33, with a little over eight minutes to play in the game when Richardson-Smith drained a three pointer to tie the score and spark what turned into a 12-2 Seton Hall run over the ensuing three minutes of action.
Siena (2-4) countered that initial three pointer with a pair of Lily Grenci free throws on its next possession, but again it was Richardson-Smith with the answer, tying the game with a lay-up before senior guard Brittany Morris (Raleigh, N.C.) hit senior Alexandra Maseko (Harare, Zimbabwe) on the fast break to allow the Pirates to regain a two-point lead.
Two possessions later sophomore Alexis Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.) hit a 12-foot jumper as the shot clock expired to put SHU up by four, and just 45 seconds later Richardson-Smith nailed another three, her third of the game, to make it a seven-point Seton Hall advantage.
The Pirates (3-4) led by as many as 10 points down the stretch and iced the game by going 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute of the game. So far this season Seton Hall has calmly shot 15-for-19 (78.9 percent) from the line with fewer than 60 seconds to play in the game.
Coming off her double-double against South Dakota last week, Maseko finished with eight points and four boards in the win over Siena, while Brown filled out the stat sheet in typical fashion, scoring six points to go along with six rebounds and five assists.
A pair of 9-0 runs in the first half helped Seton Hall build its 13-point advantage in the opening period. After trailing by three points in the early moments, Maseko drained a mid-range jump shot off an inbounds play and senior Terry Green (Brentwood, N.Y.) drilled a three on the next possession to put Seton Hall up by four, 9-5.
Sophomore Chizoba Ekedigwe (Laurel, Md.) made a lay-up to finish the 9-0 SHU run and make it four different Pirates with a bucket over that stretch.
Richardson-Smith was heavily involved in the other big point swing, scoring seven-straight points by herself before once again it was Ekedigwe scoring down low to cap off another 9-0 stretch for the Pirates, this time leaving the home team with an 18-7 lead.
Seton Hall's defense limited Siena to just 22.2 percent (6-for-27) shooting in the first half and the Saints were 1-for-9 from three point range. During a 7:55 stretch of the first half Siena missed 10-straight field goals and turned the ball over five times before Kate Zarotney hit a jumper with 3:09 to play in the period.
Siena scored nine-straight points in just 2:28 of the second half to come all the way back and tie the game, 29-29, before eventually taking a three-point lead on two Tehresa Coles free throws. From that point Richardson-Smith and the SHU offense took back over the game for good.
The Pirates shot a season-high 43.1 percent from the field (22-for-51) and attempted just eight three pointers, converting four of them. SHU was also dominant in bench scoring, holding a 29-7 edge over Siena.
Seton Hall returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 2, when it hosts No. 24 University of South Carolina in Walsh Gymnasium. Tip off is set for 2 p.m.
