AD Newsletter with Pat Lyons - December 2018 - Seton Hall University Athletics

December 2018

Let me open this month's newsletter by wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The Holiday season is filled with love, caring and giving, and I hope that you take the opportunity to spend it with loved ones.

Men's Basketball Coming Off Exhilarating Win!

If you were inside Madison Square Garden last Saturday, you probably had chills down your spine, you went through a roller coaster of emotions and you had a hard time sitting down in the final few minutes of the game.

The men's basketball team defeated No. 9 ranked Kentucky, 84-83, in overtime in a game in which we saw Myles Powell hit a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation only to watch Kentucky hit a game-tying halfcourt shot at the buzzer. Then trailing by two points, the Pirates won the game when Myles Cale hit a three-pointer with 9.5 seconds remaining, and Quincy McKnight blocked an attempted Kentucky game-winning three.

Our team is young, but very talented and very motivated to get better, and I think we saw how capable these young men are this past Saturday. If you haven't yet watched it, please enjoy this visual recap of the win over Kentucky, produced by the Pirate Sports Network's Keith Egan.

The team is on the next piece of business, and that is trying to bring back the Garden State Hardwood Classic trophy to South Orange. This rivalry with Rutgers is good for both schools and is good for college basketball, and I know both programs are eager to claim bragging rights over the other for the next year. The game at Prudential Center is sold out, but if you already have your tickets, be sure to get loud in support of the Pirates. Your support could be the difference between a blue team raising the trophy postgame or a red team raising it.

I also want to encourage you to keep coming out to our home games at Prudential Center, and our ticket office has a special Christmas offer for fans looking for a gift for a loved one. The Holiday Pack includes tickets to the DePaul, Creighton and Villanova games, all taking place on Saturdays. Call the Seton Hall Athletics ticket office at 973-275-4255 for more information and to purchase.

Women's Basketball Off to Strong Start

Our women's basketball team is a fun group to watch! The team is averaging 83.8 points per game overall and 93.5 points per game in home contests. We have some very talented young women on this squad, and you've seen the emergence of Shadeen Samuels as a star. She is close to averaging a double-double this season!

The women are off this week and will prepare for a two-game tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla., but more importantly, we hope that you will continue to support the women's team at the next home game – a huge BIG EAST opening contest against St. John's inside Walsh Gym. The Seton Hall-St. John's rivalry is a fun one, and we've drawn some great crowds for this game in the past. We hope we can count on you to make Walsh a blue atmosphere on Sunday, Dec. 30.

Please Welcome Ciara Crinion to Our Family

Yesterday, we introduced Ciara Crinion as our new head women's soccer coach, and we're very excited that Ciara has chosen to join the Seton Hall Athletics family. Throughout the interview process, Ciara set herself apart from the candidate pool as a motivated and driven coach who knows how to recruit, develop and connect with talented student-athletes.

I know that Ciara is going to hit the ground running and have our program ready to compete once the fall championship season comes around. In the meantime, if you see Ciara, please say hello and welcome her to Seton Hall!

Thanks to All Our Season Ticket Holders Who Attended the Christmas Party

Tuesday night Pirate Blue hosted its annual season ticket holder Christmas Party, and it was a blast of an evening that featured both the men's & women's basketball teams, members of our spirit squad and of course, Santa Pirate!

The Christmas Party is one of the many perks of being a season ticket holder and we are always excited to share the Holiday season with them and thank them for their loyalty!

Save the Date: Pirate Varsity Club Reunion Happening Jan. 19

Pirate Blue's ninth annual Pirate Varsity Club Reunion is taking place Saturday, Jan. 19 at Prudential Center in conjunction with the men's basketball game vs. DePaul. The PVC Reunion is a great opportunity for former Seton Hall student-athletes to once again come together and connect with old teammates while enjoying a great basketball game. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the game begins at 8 p.m.

The cost for a former student-athlete to attend is $60, and that price includes a game ticket, open bar and complementary meal. Guests of student-athletes may also attend at $70 each. If you already have a game ticket, you can purchase entry into the PVC Reunion for $40 per former student-athlete and $50 per guest.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Ariel St. Paul in the Pirate Blue office at ariel.stpaul@shu.edu or 973-275-6446.

A Second Save the Date: Our 2019 First Pitch Dinner Takes Place Jan. 23

Please also save Wednesday, Jan. 23 on your calendar as the baseball program and Pirate Blue host the 2019 First Pitch Dinner, to take place here on campus in Bethany Hall. Our guest speaker this year is Eric Duncan, who is a former coach here at Seton Hall, was a first-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2003 and is currently a hitting coordinator for the Miami Marlins.

More details and registration info on the First Pitch Dinner to come!

Please Enjoy the Fourth Episode of A Pirate's Life

Inja Butina and team celebrating vs. St. John's

Our fourth episode of A Pirate's Life goes international. How did Inja Butina get to Seton Hall by way of Croatia and Kansas? It's an interesting story, and you can find out more about how motivated, driven, caring and fiercely loyal Inja is by watching this latest Pirate Sports Network production.

This has been a very fun series so far, and we can't wait to continue sharing the stories of our student-athletes. Be on the lookout for episode five in the next couple weeks!

GO PIRATES!