Strong Effort Falls Short in BIG EAST Semis, 64-55

Sunday, March 6

Uncasville, Conn. / Mohegan Sun Arena

5:30 PM

Seton Hall University

19-12,12-8Big East

#2 Villanova

23-7,15-4Big East

Seton Hall

Villanova

3/6/2022 10:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score HOME BOX SCORE (.pdf)

Park-Lane scores a team-high 24 points, while Cooks netted 19 against Villanova on Sunday.

UNCASVILLE, CONN. – Junior Lauren Park-Lane (Wilmington, Del.) scored a team-high 24 points and Sidney Cooks (Kenosha, Wis.) added 19 more, but the Seton Hall women's basketball team was outlasted by Villanova, 64-55, in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament on Sunday.

The Pirates fell behind early due to a lengthy Villanova run to close the first quarter and had to play from behind for the remainder of the game. The Hall, playing in their fifth game in seven days, ran out of steam late as Villanova held on for the nine-point victory.

Park-Lane scored 24 points on 7-for-14 shooting to go with three rebounds and three assists. Cooks had 19 points and seven rebounds.

The Story:
A three-pointer by Park-Lane gave The Hall an early 8-7 lead, but Villanova held the Pirates to just two made field goals for the rest of the quarter. The Wildcats closed out the first quarter with a 16-4 run and took a 23-12 lead into the second quarter.

Both teams ratcheted up their defense with each shooting just 25.0% from the field. Cooks was the lone highlight offensively as she outscored Villanova, 8-to-7, by herself. The Hall methodically cut into the Wildcat lead, but still trailed, 30-21, at the half.

Villanova opened the second half with an 11-4 run, extending their lead to 41-25 with 6:45 left to play. The Pirates bounced back with the next seven points, five of which came from Park-Lane, to cut their deficit to 41-32. Both the Wildcats and Pirates shot 50.0% from the field in the third, and Villanova carried a 48-38 lead into the fourth.

Down 51-38, the relentless Pirates made a final burst. The Hall held Villanova without a field goal for 5:20 and during the defensive stand, closed to within just four points, 55-51, with 3:51 left to play. With 2:09 left to play, Villanova's Lior Garzon scored on a layup to extend their lead to six, then, with only a minute left, Garzon struck again with a three-pointer to give the Wildcats a 60-51 lead.

Inside the Numbers:

Seton Hall was 20-for-56 (35.7%) from the floor for the game, while Villanova was 23-for-52 (44.2%). The Hall was 3-for-18 (16.7%) from three-point range, while the Wildcats were 9-for-25 (36.0%).
Park-Lane finished with a team-high 24 points to go with three rebounds and three assists.
Villanova out-rebounded The Hall, 39-to-29, which included a 9-to-7 edge on the offensive glass.
Cooks had 19 points and seven rebounds.
Seton Hall was 12-for-15 (80.0%) from the free-throw line, while Villanova was 9-for-14 (64.3%).
Andra Espinoza-Hunter (Ossining, N.Y.) finished with 12 points to go with three assists.
Seton Hall forced 18 turnovers, while Villanova forced 13.
Junior Mya Bembry (West Orange, N.J.) was a stalwart on defense again, pulling down seven rebounds and collecting a team-high four steals.

News & Notes:

Seton Hall drops to 19-12 overall, while Villanova improves to 23-7 and earns a berth in the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament title game against UConn.
The Pirates fall to 25-47 all-time against Villanova and drops the rubber match of the year to them.
The Hall is now 27-38 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament games.
Park-Lane's 20-point game is her 13^th this season and the 19^th of her career.
Cooks reached double-figures in scoring for the 12^th straight game, which leads the team.

Up Next:
Although Seton Hall has been eliminated from the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament, its season is far from over. The Pirates are expected to participate in either the NCAA Tournament or WNIT.