The Seton Hall women's basketball team fell to Cincinnati Saturday afternoon, 54-48, leaving the Pirates still in search of their first Big East win.
Having only scored 16 points in the first half, Seton Hall's deficit was too large to surmount despite an offensive surge late in the second half.
"All season we have looked at one game at a time," head coach Anne Donovan said. "Our next game is Rutgers and we are going to have to try and play better on the road than we do here."
The Pirates were able to get within three points with two minutes remaining in the second half, but late offensive rebounds by Cincinnati kept the Pirates at a distance.
"I told my teammates to stay focused on defense and box out, because we were thriving in transition," senior guard Jasmine Crew said.
Crew led the Pirates with 19 points and four assists prior to fouling out with 30 seconds remaining in the game.
"I was a little disappointed, because no one wants to foul out, but I have a lot of faith in my teammates," Crew said.
Sophomore guard Brittany Morris added eight points.
The Pirates were down 26-16 after settling for outside shots in the first half. They were 16.7 percent from the 3-point line, shooting 2-of-12 for the game.
"With a little time left in the first half, we realized the outside game wasn't working and changed our focus to getting to the rim," Donovan said.
Donovan also noted that free throws continue to add to the team's demise.
"We have competed in most games we have played and had a great opportunity to close out this one," Donovan said.
The Pirates were 10-of-17 from the line in the game and missed what would have been timely free throws late in the game.
Cincinnati had three players score in double digits. Junior guard Dayeesha Hollin led the Bearcats with 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Senior guard Chanel Chisholm added 14 points and two steals while senior guard Bjonee Reaves had 12 points and four rebounds.
The defense, especially in the second half, was one positive that Donovan had pointed out. The Pirates had five steals and three blocked shots in the game, also causing two shot clock violations.
The Pirates have to "continue to stay positive" in their upcoming games, according to Crew.
Seton Hall celebrated "Deck the Hall Pink" for Breast Cancer Awareness by wearing pink jerseys and shoelaces during the game as well as honoring breast cancer survivors prior to the game.
The Pirates are back in action on Tuesday night when they take on Rutgers Scarlet Nights at 7:30 p.m. on the road.
