Seton Hall women’s basketball bounced back in a big way on Monday afternoon, beating Creighton University, 88-79, at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha.
The win moved the Pirates to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in BIG EAST play, and it marked SHU's first victory at Creighton in more than a decade.
The game did not start smoothly for the Pirates, though. Creighton opened on a 7-0 flurry, but SHU quickly flipped the switch of the entire game after they went down. The Pirates ripped off a 20-0 run to take control early, turning defensive stops into points and forcing the Bluejays to play from behind for basically the entire game.
SHU’s shooting in the first half set the tone. The Pirates went 9-for-15 (60%) from three in the opening 20 minutes, stretching the floor and creating shots from behind the arc. By halftime, SHU led 56-36 after outscoring Creighton 30-20 in the first quarter and 26-16 in the second.
On her 20th birthday, sophomore guard Jada Eads put together her best performance of the season, scoring 18 points while also chipping in six rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Her afternoon had a scary moment early in the third quarter when she went down, grabbing her ankle, but returned later in the quarter and finished the game strong, helping SHU hold off every push.
Senior guard Shailyn Pinkney also had her best offensive performance as a Pirate, giving SHU a major lift off the bench. Pinkney scored a season- and career-high 21 points on 8-for-10 (80%) shooting, including 3-for-5 (60%) from three, cashing in on clutch buckets whenever Creighton tried to gain momentum.
Senior guard Mariana Valenzuela led the Pirates with 23 points on 8-for-12 (67%) shooting and knocked down four threes, while fellow senior Jordana Codio added 14 points of her own as well. Junior guard Savannah Catalon stuffed the stat sheet once again with eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists as SHU’s guards and forwards kept the offense moving all throughout the game.
Creighton was not going away quietly, though, especially freshman guard Ava Zediker. She poured in 25 points and added eight assists for the Bluejays, repeatedly creating offense late as Creighton tried to rally down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
The Bluejays’ comeback attempt came in the final minutes. Creighton put together a 13-0 run in the last 3:30 of play, forcing six turnovers and cutting what had been a comfortable SHU lead into a tight finish. Still, the Pirates made enough shots at the charity strike and got key defensive stops to close out the win.
Creighton entered the day riding a nine-game winning streak against SHU, dating back to the Pirates’ upset of the Bluejays in the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals. The series has been difficult historically for the Pirates, with Creighton holding a 23-6 all-time edge against them, and the Bluejays swept all three meetings last season.
SHU also needed a response after their last game, which was a 72-55 loss at Villanova University last Friday. They did so by delivering their best offensive game of the season, earning a conference road win and finally taking down Creighton.
Now 8-4, the Pirates return to South Orange next to host the Xavier University Musketeers on Dec. 28 at Walsh Gym.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
