Slow Start Fells Pirates Despite Strong Effort

Monday, November 20

Nassau, Bahamas / Bahama Mar Convention Center

9:00 PM

Seton Hall University

3-2,0-0Big East

#8 USC

4-0,0-0Pac-12

Seton Hall

Southern California

Azana Baines gets ready to drive against USC on Nov. 20.

11/21/2023 12:33:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score BOX SCORE (.pdf)

The Hall outplays No. 8 USC for the final three quarters, but couldn't overcome an early hole.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Graduate student Azana Baines (Blackwood, N.J.) had a team-best 16 points, but the Seton Hall women's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow start and fell to No. 8 USC, 64-54, at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship on Monday.

The Pirates outscored the Women of Troy for the final three quarters, but were doomed by an 18-3 deficit to start the game. The Hall connected on just one of its first 12 shots from the field and had to play catch-up for the reminder of the game.

Baines had a team-high 16 point on 7-for19 shooting, including 2-for-5 from three-point range. She also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Sophomore Micah Gray (Oklahoma City, Okla.) collected 14 points on the strength of four made three-pointers. Senior Amari Wright (Jacksonville, Fla.) found herself in foul trouble early, but still managed to dish out a match-high six assists.

THE STORY:
Baines got the scoring started for the Pirates with a three-pointer just under three minutes into the game to cut USC's lead to 4-3, but the Women of Troy answered with a 14-0 run, holding the Pirates scoreless for 5:54 and taking a commanding 18-3 advantage.

The Hall came out with renewed vigor to start the second quarter. Trailing 23-7, the Pirates opened the second with a 9-1 run, capped by a layup from Baines with 6:57 to go before halftime, to cut USC's lead to 24-16. Micah Gray (Oklahoma City, Okla.) drained a three-pointer with 3:23 left before the break to bring The Hall to within eight points, but USC closed out the half with a 7-0 run to take a 38-23 advantage into the locker room.

Down 20, The Hall outscored USC by 10 points in the fourth quarter. An 11-3 run, capped by a layup by Kae Satterfield (New York, N.Y.), cut The Hall's deficit to 60-49 with 3:01 left to play. The Pirates forced another turnover and Gray got a good look at a three-pointer that would've cut the USC lead to only eight, but the shot was just long. The Pirates only got closer in the final minute when I'yanna Lops (Stamford, Conn.) hit a three-pointer to match the final score, 64-54, with 44 seconds left.

THE NUMBERS:

Seton Hall was 23-for-57 (40.4%) from the floor for the game, while USC was 22-for-50 (44.0%). The Hall was 7-for-16 (43.8%) from three-point range, while the Women of Troy were 4-for-14 (28.6%).
Baines had a team-highs of 16 points and six rebounds. She was 7-for-19 from the field, including 2-for-5 from three-point range. Baines also had two steals and two assists.
The Hall was out-rebounded USC, 39-to-28, which included a 10-to-6 edge on the offensive.
Gray had 14 points on the strength of 4-for-10 shooting from three-point range.
Seton Hall was just 1-for-4 (25.0%) from the free-throw line, while USC was 16-for-25 (64.0%).
Satterfield finished with nine points, two rebounds and a team-best three steals.
Seton Hall forced 15 turnovers, while the Women of Troy forced 16. USC had a 17-to-13 advantage in points-off-turnovers.
Wright tallied a game-high six assists to go with four rebounds and two points.

THE NOTES:

Seton Hall falls to 3-2 on the young season, while USC improves to a perfect 4-0.
The Hall is now 0-4 all-time against Southern California.
Gray has now reached double-figures in scoring for 11 straight games dating back to last season for Texas Southern.
Seton Hall has shot better than .400 from the field in all five of its games so far this season.
USC shot a season-low from the field (.440) and scored its fewest points of the season (64).
The Pirates' one made free-throw and four free-throw attempts are both season-lows.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 22 when it completes play at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas against East Carolina. The game will be available for FloHoops subscribers. Tip-time is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET.