Seton Hall University
Philadelphia
Pirates Cruise in Exhibition Win Over Philadelphia
11/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - All five starters scored in double figures and graduate point guard Ka-Deidre Simmons (Newark, N.J.) and redshirt junior forward Bra'Shey Ali (Plainfield, N.J.) both recorded a double-double as the Seton Hall University women's basketball team beat Philadelphia, 86-64, in an exhibition contest Saturday afternoon in Walsh Gym.
Ka-Deidre Simmons scored a game-high 20 points and was working on a triple double, also finishing with 10 assists and eight rebounds in 29 minutes of action. Ali pulled down 14 boards, including eight on the offensive end, also scoring 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
The Pirates led by as many as 24 points in the first half after starting the contest on a 10-0 run, which featured triples from Ka-Deidre Simmons and graduate guard Daisha Simmons (Jersey, City, N.J.).
Philadelphia rallied to pull within four, 15-11, when Najah Jacobs buried a three at 13:42, but that was the closest the Rams would be the rest of the way. On the next Seton Hall possession, sophomore Tara Inman (Holmdel, N.J.) found graduate forward Janee Johnson (Matthews, N.C.) under the basket for an easy two, sparking what turned into a 14-2 run over a span of just 3:24.
The Seton Hall advantage never dipped down to single digits again and reached 20 for the first time thanks to more long-range production, as redshirt junior Jordan Mosley (Orlando, Fla.), who made her debut for The Hall after transferring from La Salle prior to last season, and sophomore Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) buried treys just 45 seconds apart to make it 39-19.
Richardson-Smith, who was SHU's leading scorer last season, shot just 1-of-9 in the first half, but found some offensive rhythm in the second period when she knocked down 3-of-4 long-range attempt. Seton Hall still led by 19 when Ka-Deidre Simmons found her from beyond the arc on back-to-back SHU possessions, stretching the Pirates' lead to 75-50 with just over 10 minutes to play.
Thanks to that second-half rally, Richardson-Smith finished with 13 points behind four 3-point field goals. Daisha Simmons, who played most of the game in foul trouble after picking up two quick calls to start the first half, still scored 16 points in just 17 minutes, shooting an efficient 7-for-10 from the field in her Seton Hall debut. Johnson rounded out the Pirates in double figures, scoring 10 points to go along with six boards.
In all, 12 different players scored for The Hall. The Pirates were also dominant on the glass, outrebounding Philadelphia 57-37, including 25 on the offensive end, resulting in a 21-6 edge in second-chance points.
Seton Hall will return to action next Friday afternoon when it hosts Rider University for its season opener in the first round of the Preseason WNIT. Tipoff at Walsh Gymnasium is scheduled for 12 p.m.
