Seton Hall University
16-4, 6-3BE
Butler
7-13, 2-7BE
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Pirates Roll Past Butler, 98-77, On Sunday Afternoon
1/24/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Box Score (PDF)
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Tabatha Richardson-Smith scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help power the Seton Hall women's basketball team to a 98-77 victory over Butler on Sunday afternoon at Walsh Gym. Nine Pirates scored at least five points as The Hall (16-4, 6-3 BIG EAST) grabbed its third-straight victory and improved to 3-2 all-time against the Bulldogs (7-13, 2-7 BIG EAST).
Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) notched her third double-double of the season and her seventh 20-point effort in nine BIG EAST games, also tying a career-high with five assists for the second-straight game. Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.) knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers en route to 23 points and added four assists, while Tiffany Jones (New York, N.Y.) barely missed a double-double of her own with 14 points and nine rebounds.
The Pirates exploded out to a 34-12 lead after a quarter and led by 21 at the break before a more evenly-contested second half. The Seton Hall bench poured in 24 points, led by seven from Jordan Mosley (Orlando, Fla.) and six each from Martha Kuderer (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and LaTecia Smith (Gardenia, Calif.). The Pirates shot a season-best 58.1 percent from the floor and finished one point shy of their season-high.
Turning Point
After a Butler 3-pointer cut an early Seton Hall lead to 11-5, the Pirates exploded for a 14-0 run to push the advantage to 25-5 and put the game out of reach early. Overall, the Pirates went up 34-12 after a quarter thanks in part to 15 points from Powell in the opening frame, including a quartet of trifectas in the period.
Head Coach Anthony Bozzella on the result
"I'm really pleased with our effort early, to come out and score 34 points in the first quarter shows how well were playing on the offensive end. Right now nobody in this league is playing better than Tab, she is really at an elite level."
Inside The Numbers
- Seton Hall shot 58.1 percent from the floor, a season-best, a game after setting their previous season-high with a 54.0 percent performance on Friday vs. Xavier
- The Hall held a 41-29 edge in rebounding and out-scored Butler 46-30 in the paint
- Despite turnovers being even at 16-16, the Pirates recorded a 24-16 edge in points off turnovers
- Richardson-Smith went 10-for-11 from the free throw line
- The Pirates did not record a turnover in the first quarter and had only four in the first half
News and Notes
- Seton Hall's 34-point first quarter was its second-highest scoring opening frame of the season, trailing only the 39 against Bryant on Nov. 13
- Aleesha Powell knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers, most in a game for a Pirate this season and most since Richardson-Smith knocked down seven at West Virginia on Nov. 17, 2014
- Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.) tied a career-high with nine assists against only two turnovers
- In two wins over the weekend, Richardson-Smith averaged 26.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists
- The double-double for Richardson-Smith was her third this year and the 12th of her career
Up Next
The Pirates are back on the road next weekend, beginning with a showdown at No. 24 DePaul on Friday, Jan. 29. The Hall and the Blue Demons will square off at 1 p.m. (ET) at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Chicago.
