Seton Hall University
Providence
Pirates Handle Providence in BIG EAST First Round
3/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 8, 2014
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CHICAGO, ILL. - The Seton Hall University women's basketball team saw five players score in double figures, led by Ka-Deidre Simmons' (Newark, N.J.) team-high 24 points, as the Pirates defeated Providence College, 88-79, in the First Round of the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday afternoon at McGrath-Phillips Arena.
Seton Hall (18-12) advances to the BIG EAST quarterfinals where it will meet No. 2 seed St. John's University on Sunday, March 9, at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., at 12 p.m. (CT).
The Pirates, who have now won a BIG EAST Tournament game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002-03 and will play in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003, will look to avenge a 51-45 loss suffered against the Red Storm in the second round of last year's conference playoff; St. John's won both regular season meetings against Seton Hall this season to finish 13-5 in league play.
The 88 points scored in Saturday's win set a team record for points in a BIG EAST Tournament game, surpassing the old mark of 87 set in an 87-73 overtime win against Connecticut back in 1985. SHU also saw a pair of individual records fall. Junior Alexis Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.) was working on a triple double, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, with her seven dimes tying a school record for tournament play. Sophomore Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) overcame a slow start offensively to finish with 15 points and five steal, which also tied an SHU record.
Outside of one Providence scoring run to pull within four points with just over five minutes to play in the opening half, Seton Hall was in complete control against the Friars from the outset.
Providence missed seven of its first eight field goal attempts to fall behind 10-5 as redshirt sophomore Bra'Shey Ali (Plainfield, N.J.) drove through the paint for a layup at the rim as she was fouled fewer than five minutes into the action.
That lead nearly stretched to double figures as Richardson-Smith poked a ball away from Tori Rule in transition. Simmons was there to make an athletic play to prevent the loose ball from flying out of bounds. She started a break the other way and found a trailing Brown for an open jumper from the free-throw line.
The Pirates did finally push their advantage to double figures as sharpshooting freshman Teresa Kucera (Schwabisch Hall, Germany) connected on a trey from the left wing to make it 21-10, but shortly thereafter the Friars made a run. Evi Iiskola hit a 3-pointer and Rule drove to the rim to cut the SHU lead down to 23-19.
Richardson-Smith snapped the run, grabbing an offensive board and hitting a difficult shot under the rim for her first field goal of the game. The Pirates' leading scorer missed her first six field goal attempts, but that bucket helped get her offensive game on track as she hit twice more from the field, connecting from deep at 3:06 to make it 32-21.
With their backs against the wall the Friars came out strong to start the second half, making it a six point game once again as Rule scored in transition at 13:02 to make it 46-40. The play of redshirt freshman Sidney Cook (Parkton, N.C.) helped the Pirates stretch the lead back to double figures. She scored eight of her 12 points over a span of just 2:10, tipping in an offensive rebound at 9:09 to put her team in front by 16.
The final Providence surge came very late in the game. PC still faced a 14 point deficit with fewer than three minutes to play, but with a full court press on the Friars managed to force a handful of turnovers while Rule heated up from downtown, hitting three treys over the final 2:02. Seton Hall shot 11-for-12 from the line over the last 45 seconds to hang on for the win.
Ali recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes of action, making it five Pirates in double figures. Simmons added three assists to her team-high point total, placing her in a tie with Kathy O'Reilly for the most assists in a single season in SHU history with 158.
Providence forward Alexis Harris, who heading into the game was averaging 28.0 ppg against Seton Hall this season, scored just four points on 2-for-11 shooting. Rule finished with a game-high 27, hitting five 3-pointers. Karin Robinson scored 15 points with nine assists.
