With four graduating seniors honored before the game, Seton Hall would take the win against DePaul, 76-67, on Thursday, Feb. 27 at Walsh Gymnasium.
The Pirates were coming off a win on the road against the St. John’s Red Storm on Sunday, Feb. 23. Their opponents in this game, the DePaul Blue Demons, were coming off a competitive effort in a loss against the No. 23 ranked Creighton Blue Jays.
The Pirates entered Thursday’s game without freshman point guard Jada Eads, who suffered an injury earlier in the week and was in a walking boot during pregame warmups.
Despite the Pirates gaining a five-point lead two and a half minutes into the game, DePaul managed a 9-0 run to go up 11-7 as Seton Hall struggled to stop their fast offensive tempo. After their initial 3-5 (60%) start from the field through the first two and a half minutes, Seton Hall finished the quarter shooting 5-16 (31%). At the end of the first, DePaul led 16-12.
DePaul and Seton Hall both went back and forth for the first four minutes of the second quarter until the Pirates went on a 10-0 run to take a 30-22 lead, eventually taking a 34-29 lead into halftime.
Despite the absence of Eads, sophomore guard Savannah Catalon was able to pick up the slack in the backcourt, leading both teams with 13 points at the end of the second quarter. Graduate forward Faith Masonius followed closely with 11 points of her own, while also tallying five rebounds and two assists in the first half.
At halftime, junior guard Taylor Johnson-Matthews led DePaul with seven points, while junior guard Kate Clarke and graduate forward Jorie Allen followed behind with six apiece. The Blue Demons also managed to force 11 Seton Hall turnovers, while committing only seven themselves.
Once again, back and forth scoring was the theme for the third quarter. Catalon scored another 13 points in the quarter, with Seton Hall starting the second half much more polished than before. Opting for more shots in the paint, while taking only one 3-pointer in the quarter, the Pirates took a 56-44 lead through 30 minutes.
The fourth quarter saw Seton Hall committing a lot of fouls as DePaul kept feeding Allen in the paint, and the Pirates couldn’t stop her without fouling. As a result, seven of Allen’s nine fourth-quarter points came from free throws, with her making 13 of her 14 attempts (93%) in the game. However, despite Allen’s 21 points and six rebounds, it was not enough to come back as the Pirates held on to win, 76-67.
Catalon set a career-high 36 points, marking the first time that a Pirate has scored 35 in a game since Lauren Park-Lane nearly did so just two years ago. Catalon also tallied six rebounds, three assists, and three steals to go along with her amazing scoring performance. Masonius, as well as senior guards Amari Wright and Kaydan Lawson, notched double-digit points, with the three scoring 36 points combined.
After the game, Seton Hall head coach Anthony Bozella was quick to give everyone on the team, from assistants to the players themselves, credit before taking any for himself. He showed particular appreciation for Masonius, who recorded a double-double in this game.
“It’s been a really hard year for me, and faith has gotten me through this,” Bozella said. “Faith in God, faith in my family, and Faith Masonius.”
Finally, coach Bozella praised his team and explained why he believes they deserve a bid to the NCAA tournament—something that has escaped Bozella and the Pirates since 2016.
“When we do what we’re supposed to do, we are one of the best 64 teams in the country,” Bozella said. “We are one of the best 36 at-large teams, without a doubt.”
Seton Hall currently stands 21–8 overall and 13–5 in conference play after defeating Xavier, 59-57, in their final game of the regular season on March 2. They will face either DePaul or Xavier on Saturday, March 8 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut for the Big East Tournament.
John Misiewicz writes for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at john.misiewicz@student.shu.edu.
