Of all the venues Seton Hall women’s basketball visits in a given season, the program has had the least amount of luck at Marquette’s Al McGuire Center.
In 15 such visits to “The Al” since 2006, the Pirates have earned just one win.
But that changed on Wednesday night, as the Pirates (16-8, 10-5 BIG EAST) defeated the Golden Eagles (16-9, 10-6 BIG EAST), 70-58, to earn not only their second-ever road win over Marquette but also their first-ever season sweep.
With the win, SHU also avoided a three-game losing streak, which would have been their largest of the season, and now have a one-game lead over Marquette for third place in the BIG EAST standings.
Having trailed since the 2:51 mark in the first quarter, and down by seven with 6:31 left in the third, the turning point of the game came when the Pirates scored 12 unanswered points in the quarter's remaining time.
Half of those points came from back-to-back three-pointers, the first from junior guard Savannah Catalon, then from graduate guard Mariana Valenzuela after freshman guard Ari Woodard found her trailing in semi-transition.
The upperclassmen duo’s 6-0 run brought the game back within one point, SHU still trailing 49-48, with 5:13 left.
Minutes later, after a made free throw by senior guard Jordana Codio tied the game at 49, Valenzuela scored an open mid-range jump shot off a baseline out of bounds at 1:49 to give SHU their first lead of the game since the first quarter at 51-49.
Valenzuela was the game’s second leading scorer, finishing with 17 points on 7-for-15 (47%) shooting, while also tying a season-high in three-pointers made and attempted by going 5-of-10 (50%). The Mazatlan Mexico native also added six rebounds and three assists.
Outscoring Marquette 18-9 in the quarter, the Pirates entered the fourth with a five-point lead at 54-49, after sophomore guard Ja’Kahla Craft hit a three-pointer off a flair screen to end the quarter. Craft nearly finished the contest with a double-double, scoring seven points and grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds.
It was all SHU from there, as the Pirates never trailed again, thanks to the fourth quarter play of Zahara Bishop. Half of her game-high 20 points (just one short of her career-high), as well as the first 10 of SHU’s 16 total fourth-quarter points, were scored by the freshman guard in the final period. Shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the line as well as 6-for-9 (67%) from the field and from deep, Bishop hit a wing three-pointer as the shot clock expired for her final basket of the game and to give SHU a 64-56 lead with 5:02 left in the contest.
The Golden Eagles entered the contest as a prolific team from beyond the arc, ranking second in the BIG EAST in three-point percentage (38.2%), and with Marquette’s Volker first in the conference individually in three-point percentage (45.0%). To emerge victorious, SHU had to beat Marquette at their own game—as they did, hitting nine three-pointers compared to the Golden Eagles’ five, with nearly an identical number of attempts (23 to 24, respectively). Limiting Marquette's makes, while making more than they typically do, was a huge key to the Pirates’ success on Wednesday.
Earlier in the game, SHU found themselves trailing 40-36 at halftime after Bishop hit a fading mid-range jump shot to bring the game back within two possessions at the end of the second.
The Pirates started the second quarter on a 5-0 run to make it 23-22, with Codio first turning the corner on her defender for an easy layup, then Valenzuela hitting her third three-pointer of the contest at 8:57.
After a basket from Catalon gave SHU a 12-8 lead at the 5:00 mark, Marquette went on a 15-5 run in the time remaining to take a 23-17 lead going into the second quarter.
An open corner three-pointer by Marquette’s Meulemans made it a 7-0 run for the Golden Eagles to take their first lead, 15-12, of the night at the 2:46 mark in the first quarter.
SHU opened the contest with five unanswered points, including the first basket of the game scored just five seconds in after the opening tip got past Marquette’s Perkins, allowing Catalon to score an easy two.
The Pirates will look to complete another season sweep, this time over DePaul (6-20, 3-12 BIG EAST), on Feb. 14, when they return to Walsh Gymnasium to host the Blue Demons.
Zachary Mawby is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
