Seton Hall University
23-8
#7 Creighton
17-16
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Pirates Fall To Creighton In BIG EAST Semifinals
3/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CHICAGO - The Seton Hall women's basketball team fell to seven-seed Creighton (17-16) by a score of 77-56 on Monday afternoon in the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Tournament Presented by the Jeep Brand. The three-seed Pirates (23-8) got 20 points from Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.) in the setback.
The Bluejays continued their Cinderella run through the championship, knocking off the Pirates behind 23 points from MC McGrory a day after defeating two-seed Villanova. Creighton set the tone early with a seven-point lead after a quarter and a nine point advantage at the half, ballooning the lead to as many as 18 in the third quarter. The Hall made a charge back and clawed to within seven early in the fourth, but CU had an answer to go back up double-figures the rest of the way.
In addition to Richardson, Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 10 points and LaTecia Smith (Gardenia, Calif.) came off the bench to add nine and a pair of steals. The Bluejays rode hot shooting throughout the contest, connecting at a 51.9 percent clip for the game including a 57.7 percent mark in the second half. Behind McGrory for CU, Jade Owens scored 16 and Audrey Faber added 11.
Turning Point
Down as many as 18 in the third quarter, Seton Hall pressure and a strong start to the fourth quarter had the lead sliced to seven at 52-45 with 8:11 to play in the fourth. Creighton answered quickly with a 5-0 spurt on a lay-up and a 3-pointer to push the lead back to double-digits, where it remained the rest of the contest.
Inside The Numbers
- The Pirates were out-shot 51.9 percent to 37.7 percent and connected on only 2-of-15 from 3-point range
- The Bluejays held a 38-29 rebounding edge and an 18-6 advantage in assists
- The Pirates turned the ball over only nine times, their fifth game this season with single-digit turnovers
- Seton Hall earned a 30-24 edge in points in the paint but was out-scored 11-0 in second chance points
News and Notes
- Richardson recorded her fourth+ 20-point game of the season and second in as many days
- The Hall falls to 3-4 all-time against Creighton, with a 2-1 mark in 2015-16
- The Pirates drop to 21-32 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play and 4-3 under Anthony Bozzella
- Seton Hall has reached at least the semifinal round of the tournament in the last two seasons
- Tiffany Jones (New York, N.Y.) averaged 17.0 points and 13.0 rebounds over the course of the tournament
Up Next
The Pirates, who entered the day with an RPI of 34, will await their potential NCAA Tournament destination in an attempt to make two-straight appearances. The NCAA Selection Show is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14 on ESPN.
