Seton Hall women’s basketball entered the postseason with hopes of a deep tournament run—until a ghost from their regular season past came back to haunt them.
One of 16 games in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) on Thursday, the Pirates (19-13, 12-8 BIG EAST), who were not one of the top-16 teams of the 32-team field to receive a seed, fell to the fourth-seeded Missouri Tigers (17-16, 4-12 SEC), 67-57, after shooting just 2-for-22 (9.1%) from the field and 1-for-14 (7.1%) and from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
“We had three goals before the game,” SHU head coach Anthony Bozzella said postgame. “Win the 3-point battle, we did 9-6; win the turnover battle, we did 17-24; win the offensive rebounding battle, we did 16-3.”
“But 2-22 is not going to cut it,” Bozzella added. “I mean, that’s just not good, anyone will tell you that.”
Indeed, The Hall dominated the game’s box score (they also had a 22-9 advantage in points off turnovers, 11-2 in second-chance points and so forth), but it was a classic fourth-quarter collapse that cost them the win.
After having led for most of the game (21:23, to be exact), SHU found themselves tied with Missouri at 52-all heading into the fourth quarter after the Tigers ended the third on a 4-0 run.
Pirates All-Freshman Team guard Zahara Bishop tried to split a double-team on the right wing, but turned the ball over, as the Tigers scored a fastbreak layup with the last shot of the quarter to make it 52-all, Missouri having outscored SHU 25-23 in the third.
What ensued was another 4-0 run from the Tigers inside the fourth quarter’s opening two minutes to give them a 56-52 lead, their largest of the second half—and one that would only grow, as SHU couldn’t buy a basket in the time remaining.
Searching for a response, unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team graduate forward Mariana Valenzuela, who led all the Pirates with 17 points (6-for-15), scored a layup with 7:53 left that made it a one possession game, SHU trailing 56-54—but would also stand as The Hall’s last field goal for the next seven minutes.
While SHU was unable to score, Missouri went on a 9-0 run that proved decisive, as they gained as much as an 11-point lead before earning the eventual 67-57 win. In doing so, the Tigers will advance to the next round of the WBIT, while the Pirates’ season ends just one victory shy of 20 wins.
As mentioned, Valenzuela led The Hall with 17 points, also adding 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, while sophomore guard Ja’Kahla Craft followed with 15 points, both hitting three 3-pointers each.
While expressing how proud he is of his team, Bozzella attributed the loss to a long season and the wear and tear that comes with it.
“You know, part of it is we probably didn’t get them good enough looks, part of it is we hit fatigue,” Bozzella said. “Everyone was like, ‘You got all your kids back.’ Yeah our kids are back, but they haven’t practiced, they haven’t played together, they haven’t done anything.”
“We had four of our best practices of the year,” Bozzella added. “But you’re going to run out of legs, and you’re going to run into that [fatigue].”
In a similar vein, Bozzella suggested that, if not for injuries, the Pirates may have achieved even more this season than they did.
“I think it’s what could have been,” Bozzella said. “We didn’t get a chance to play with our whole team—at all—and we still found a way to finish in third place, win 19 games, make the postseason.
“It just shows how close we are [to success],” Bozzella added.
Joining Bozzella postgame was unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team and All-Defensive Team junior guard Savannah Catalon, who has received praise from Bozzella all season long, with Thursday being no exception.
“I’ve coached for 32 years, and I’ve never been prouder of anyone, and never been more thankful for the ability to coach her,” Bozzella said about Catalon. “And Seton Hall should be very thankful, and I know they are.”
“When you have [Catalon], you always have a great chance,” Bozzella added.
Anticipating her return next year for her senior season, Bozzella said he’s confident Catalon will bring The Hall to the success that he believes was just outside their reach this season.
“And I know next year as a senior, she’s going to make sure we get there—there’s no doubt in my mind,” Bozzella said. “And as a head coach, I’m going to make sure to surround her with players that have the same sense of team, toughness and togetherness that she does.”
“Obviously, in this day and age, it's not going to be the same as that group,” Bozzella added. “But as long as she’s here leading it, I know we’ll be very successful.”
Although nothing is concrete just yet, Bozzella offered a preview of next season’s schedule, which is loaded with tough opponents that he believes will only help the Pirates get to where he thinks they can go.
“We’re going to the Virgin Islands and playing a tough schedule; we have Rutgers back on the schedule; we have Princeton, Columbia, Auburn, Cincinnati,” Bozzella said. “We have all these big-time programs that we’re going to play and challenge ourselves because we want to play the best.”
“So we’re going to get there, we’re very close, and I’m just very proud of the program and where we’re at,” Bozzella added. “I’m lucky to have a great staff, lucky to have a great captain.”
Zachary Mawby is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
