1-for-10 from the field, 0-for-4 from deep, seven turnovers and just four points.
That was Seton Hall women’s basketball’s statline through the first 10 minutes of play in Wednesday’s game at Providence, as they trailed 12-4 at the end of the first quarter. The Pirates’ four points are the fewest in a single quarter this season, and is tied for the second-fewest in a single quarter in program history.
Although they outscored the Friars 14-11 in the second quarter, SHU still trailed 23-18 at the break—with 18 points also being tied for their fewest in a single half this season.
So what was it? Was the Friars’ gameplan working to perfection? Was SHU still recovering from Sunday’s 84-48 loss to the top-ranked UConn Huskies? Or was the absence of starting sophomore guard Jada Eads, who was listed as unavailable for this one, too much for them to overcome?
Whatever it was that caused such a poor start for SHU must have been addressed at halftime—because they were a completely different team afterward.
Outscoring the Friars (9-8, 2-4 BIG EAST) 40-25 in the second half—with 20 points in both the third and fourth quarter—the Pirates (11-5, 5-2 BIG EAST) ultimately pulled away for a 58-48 win on the road.
Their second-half effort was led by senior guard Jordana Codio, who scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half alone. This included a seven-point third quarter where the Texas transfer scored seven points while going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 1-for-1 from beyond the arc.
A six-foot-one forward, Codio used her long stride and a smooth in-n-out move to score a right-handed driving layup to tie the game at 25 with seven minutes left in the third. Three minutes later, she scored an off-the-dribble wing three-pointer to give The Hall their first lead of the game—one which they would hold onto for the remaining 14 minutes.
Codio finished with a game-high 17 points, as mentioned, while also shooting 5-for-11 (45%) from the field, a perfect 6-for-6 from the line and recording a career-high four steals.
Like Codio, senior guard Shailyn Pinkney also scored seven points, and made three shots and one three-pointer in the third quarter. A few possessions after Codio’s lead-taking three, Pinkney hit a no-hesitation corner three of her own to extend SHU’s lead to 34-30. Turning the corner off a screen minutes later, Pinkney knifed through the lane for a right-handed scoop layup while going left to make it 37-35 with two minutes left in the third.
Starting in place of Eads, Pinkney finished the game with 14 points and tied a season-high with 3-of-5 (60%) three-pointers made.
After the game, head coach Anthony Bozzella talked to ESPN’s Mike Mancuso and Pam Roecker for a brief postgame interview, during which he had nothing but praise for Pinkney and expressed his hope that she remains in South Orange for her fifth-year of eligibility.
“[As a coach,] you love all your players, but I have a little extra special love for her,” Bozzella said about Pinkney. “I mean, she’s a four-year kid, stayed with the program…. She shoots every single day—my office is above the court [in South Orange], and all of [a] sudden I hear shooting, and I know it's her [every time].”
“So I’m just so happy for her because she’s a wonderful person, and in this day and age when everyone wants to leave and leave and leave, she’s stayed with it the whole time,” he added. “She has an extra year, and I just pray that she’ll stay one more year and be a five-year kid.”
Codio and Pinkney were two of four Pirates in double-figures in the game, with the others being graduate forward Mariana Valenzuela and freshman guard Zahara Bishop.
Valenzuela was pretty quiet in the contest until the fourth quarter, during which she scored eight of her 10 total points to help The Hall pull away. The Mazatlan, Mexico native also finished with nine total rebounds, just one shy of recording her fourth double-double of the season.
Bishop also scored 10 points in the contest, while recording a team-high four assists and grabbing six rebounds. Her all-around effort also earned Bozzella’s praise after the game.
“She showed a lot of confidence and a lot of toughness,” Bozzella said about Bishop. “And she passed the ball well, and made some big baskets when we needed them.”
Surprisingly absent from the list of Pirates in double-figures was junior guard Savannah Catalon, who is the team’s leading scorer. And yet, the three-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recipient this season still had a positive impact on the game. Although she only scored five points and shot just 1-for-8 (12.5%), Catalon was a team-high +12 in the box score thanks to her eight rebounds—five of which were on the offensive glass—and two assists.
After shooting just 24% (5-for-21) in the first half, SHU shot 52% (14-for-27) in the second to win a game in which they trailed by as much as 10 points.
With the win, the Pirates improve to 11-5 on the season, 5-2 in conference play and cap off a stretch of double-digit comebacks for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
After being on the road for their past two games, The Hall will return to Walsh Gymnasium on Jan. 14 to host the Marquette Golden Eagles (11-5, 5-4 BIG EAST) in a game between two teams tied for third place in the conference standings.
Zachary Mawby is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
