Short-handed Pirates Fall at Butler, 76-64

Friday, February 24

Indianapolis, Ind. / Hinkle Fieldhouse

7:00 PM

Seton Hall University

17-12,10-9Big East

Butler

11-17,6-13Big East

Seton Hall

Butler

2/25/2023 12:24:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score BOX SCORE - BU (.pdf)

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – Sidney Cooks (Kenosha, Wis.) had a game-high 22 points and Azana Baines (Blackwood, N.J.) collected a double-double, but the Seton Hall women's basketball team fell in its final road contest of the regular season, 76-64, at Butler on Friday.

The Pirates were playing a game without Nancy Lieberman National Point Guard of the Year candidate Lauren Park-Lane for the first time since falling to Toledo in the WNIT on March 21, 2019. Park-Lane missed tonight's contest with flu-like symptoms.

The Pirates twice cut their deficit to just one point in the fourth quarter, but Butler closed the game with an 11-0 run to seal The Hall's fate.

Cooks had 22 points, including Seton Hall's first 10 of the fourth quarter, on 8-for-14 shooting to go with four rebounds and four assists. Baines had exactly 19 points and 10 rebounds for a second straight game. Sha'Lynn Hagans (Manassas, Va.) was a third Pirate to reach double-figures in scoring. She had 12 points and five assists.

THE STORY:
The opening quarter was a back-and-forth affair that featured nine lead changes. Both teams shot better than 53% in the opening 10 minutes. The Pirates led by as many as five points, 11-6, but it was short-lived as a 6-0 Bulldogs run gave them the lead. Butler took a 19-17 lead into the second.

Trailing 31-24 in the second quarter, the Pirates held Butler scoreless for 6:11, and used the drought to go on a 10-0 run spearheaded by Baines who scored seven points in the burst. Butler scored with just four seconds left to end their drought, but the Pirates took a 34-33 lead into the break.

The Pirates hung tough in the first half despite Butler connecting on six of their first eight three-pointer attempts.

Down 41-38, The Hall scored seven straight points to grab a 45-41 advantage, but Butler responded with a 12-2 run to grab a 53-47 lead with 36 seconds left in the third. Hagans connected with a three pointer at the buzzer to shave The Hall's deficit to 53-50 entering the fourth.

A pair of made free-throws by Hagans cut The Hall's deficit to just one point, 65-64, with 3:07 left to play, but Butler closed out the contest with the game's final 11 points. The Pirates went 0-for-5 with two turnovers in the final three minutes.

THE NUMBERS:

Seton Hall was 25-for-52 (48.1%) from the floor for the game, while Butler was 31-for-56 (55.4%). The Hall was 6-for-16 (37.5%) from three-point range, while the Bulldogs were 11-for-20 (55.0%).
Cooks had a game-high 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting, including 4-for-8 from three-point range. She also had four rebounds and four assists.
Butler out-rebounded The Hall, 27-to-25, but the Pirates had an 8-to-7 edge on the offensive glass.
Baines finished with a 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting to go with a team-high 10 rebounds.
Seton Hall was 8-for-12 (66.7%) from the free-throw line, while Butler was 3-for-7 (42.9%).
Hagans had 12 points on the strength of a pair of made three-pointers to go with five assists.
Seton Hall forced 11 turnovers, while Butler forced 10, but the Bulldogs had a 16-to-11 advantage in points-off-turnovers.
Junior Amari Wright (Jacksonville, Fla.) had five assists, two steals and only one turnover.

THE NOTES:

Seton Hall drops to 17-12 overall and 10-9 in the BIG EAST, while Butler improves to 11-17 overall and 6-13 in conference play.
The Hall is now 16-6 all-time against the Bulldogs and has a 10-game win streak in the series snapped.
Tonight's performance was Cook's seventh 20-point game of the season and the 15^th of her career.
Baines's double-double is her second in a row and the fourth of the season.
This is the first time Seton Hall has lost a game after leading at the half (17-1).
By missing tonight's game, Park-Lane snaps a streak of 115 consecutive starts to begin her career.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to action on Monday, February 27 when it returns home to host No. 15 Villanova in its final regular season game of the season. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The contest will be nationally televised by FS1 with Lisa Byington and Kim Adams on the call. It'll also be available on 89.5 FM WSOU or wsou.net.