Seton Hall University
Providence
Pirates Ease Past Providence, 72-56
2/21/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Morris continued her recent hot shooting streak for The Hall, netting a career-high in scoring a game after she became Seton Hall's all-time three-point leader. She scored more than 20 points in the second-straight game, and also buried six three-pointers in back-to-back outings, a career-best for the sharp shooter.
Morris' 10 field goals were a season-high for a Seton Hall player and she also added four assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes.
Simmons was nearly perfect from the field to provide a nice compliment to Morris' crisp outside shooting. The Pirates' point guard tallied her career-high on 8-for-9 shooting, and she knocked down both of her long-range attempts.
The victory marked Seton Hall's fourth BIG EAST win this season, the most for the Pirates since the 2008-09 campaign, and the Pirates reached nine wins for the first time under head coach Anne Donovan.
The 72 points scored is the second-highest offensive output for Seton Hall this season and the most points the Pirates have scored in a BIG EAST game.
After a great offensive first half the Pirates managed to improve on those numbers in the second, shooting 60.0 percent (12-for-20) from the field, the highest single-half field goal percentage of the season, and SHU shot 56.5 percent from the floor in the game, also a season-high.
Seton Hall knocked down a pair of three pointers during an early 8-0 run that ended with the Pirates in front, 14-6, fewer than seven minutes into the game.
Simmons stepped up and nailed a three from the top of the key early in a possession to make the score 11-6, and just 21 seconds later Morris buried the 160th three pointer of her career.
From there Providence mounted a comeback, holding the Pirates scoreless over a seven minute stretch as the Friars came all the way back to tie the game, 14-14, on an Evi Iiskola jumper with 6:24 remaining.
The score would not remain tied for long as Seton Hall ended the first half on an absolute offensive tear, scoring 19 points over the final 6:07 and converting on nine of its final 12 possessions of the period, including a stretch of seven-straight possessions with a field goal.
Morris scored the first two buckets of the Pirates' 11-2 scoring run and Simmons and sophomore Alexis Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.) accounted for the other four points of what ended up being eight-straight points for the Hall.
Alexis Harris briefly threw water on Seton Hall's hot streak, nailing a mid-range jumper with four minute to play in the first, but unfazed, Morris drained another Seton Hall three on the ensuing SHU possession, passing 900-career points in the process.
Down the stretch Morris hit her third three of the opening period and senior Breanna Jones (Hampton, Va.) made a layup moments before time expired to allow the Pirates to stretch their lead to 33-21 at the half.
Seton Hall shot 53.8 percent (14-for-26) from the field in the first half and dominated the glass with a 24-10 edge in rebounding. Morris had 15 of her points by the break, and Simmons also had double figures at the half with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Providence came as close of six points in the second half, trimming the Pirates' advantage to 42-36 with 13:50 to play. Who other than Morris came through with a clutch three pointer to put a stop to the Friars' run and spark what turned into an 8-2 Seton Hall burst that put the Pirates up by double digits for good.
Following Morris' triple, freshman Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) connected from deep, and Brown dropped in a runner through the lane to extend the Seton Hall lead back to 12.
Brown narrowly missed recording her first double-double, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds and a team-high five assists. Senior Alexandra Maseko (Harare, Zimbabwe) led the Pirates with 10 rebounds, also blocking three shots; Seton Hall finished the game with a dominating 41-25 lead on the boards.
Four players finished in double figures for the Friars. Brianna Edwards led the team with 12 points while Harris, Symone Roberts and Tori Rule each chipped in 11.
Seton Hall returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 23, when it travels to Storrs, Conn., to face No. 3/3 Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion. Tipoff is schedule for 4 p.m., and the game will be televised on SNY.
