By JP Pelzman
Seton Hall didn’t play in the post-season in 2020-21, or raise any championship banners. Yet women’s basketball coach Tony Bozzella is proud of the Pirates, and believes the sacrifices this team made, and the way the players handled this most unusual and difficult season, will only benefit the program going forward.
“These girls had an amazing season to finish 14-7 and third in the Big East after we were picked sixth” by the coaches, Bozzella said. “We stayed together. This was the most unified group we’ve ever had and it will set a great foundation for this program for years to come.
“We had no issues,” the coach added. “Everyone came to practice on time. Everyone tried hard. Everyone did their best academically. With everything we went through, it could have been much worse.”
Even though the Pirates missed the NCAA Tournament, they could have participated in the NIT. But they turned down a spot in the 16-team event.
“The kids were worn out,” explained Bozzella, who just completed his eighth season at The Hall. “They were mentally fried. You’re getting into hotels late, you’re wearing your masks all the time, you can’t leave the hotel.
“You can’t walk outside,” he added. “Everything is isolated. It's hard enough to isolate when you’re an adult, imagine that for an 18-to-22-year-old.”
And, of course, the Pirates played in front of an empty Walsh Gym because of coronavirus protocols throughout the season. Despite that, they compiled a 12-5 Big East record before losing to Creighton, 83-76, in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“It was so hard,” the coach said. “Every day you were worried that you were going to get sick, every day. We had nine players get sick, three coaches, a few managers. It was awful.”
Not only did Seton Hall have to delay its season opener for 13 days because of a COVID pause, but Bozzella himself missed the first three games after spending five days in Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston with a very serious case of coronavirus, narrowly avoiding a potential stroke.
“I still don’t think I'm 100%,” the 55-year-old Bozzella admits, although he believes he is getting there “little by little.” He has checkups every month and said he is “in a lot better place” physically.
He credits his recovery to the “great doctors and nurses” he had at the hospital. “Saint Barnabas is amazing.
And I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Seton Hall alum Arnie Manzo who expediently got me into the hospital”
"Finally, all my love to to my daughter Sam, a PA student who pushed me go to the hospital because she realized something was seriously wrong as I wasn't feeling well."
Bozzella's near-disastrous health situation typifies a season in which the Pirates missed 28 days because of COVID pauses.
“It's not just missing the month,” Bozzella said. “When you come back, you’re still not ready to play.”
And also, as he noted, there is the mental toll.
A typical day for a player went like this: “Come to the gym, get tested, practice, go back to your room, go eat, don’t talk to anyone, make sure you get online and go to your class.
“Next day, get up, come over, get tested, practice, go back to your room and don’t see anybody.”
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. With the monotony only broken up by games.
Bozzella said, “You're asking them to take a (COVID) test every day, have no friends, not see anybody, don’t meet anyone, isolate yourself. That’s (emotional) wear and tear.”
As for the season itself, it got off to a rugged start on the court in the second game. Yes, Seton Hall routed outmatched Wagner, 96-53 to improve to 2-0, but starting center Femi Funeus suffered a torn Achilles’ after playing only 1:30 of the game, ending her season. Guard Curtessia Dean already had torn an Achilles’ in the preseason, thus the Pirates were without two key players before the Big East schedule had even begun.
But a game-changer for the Pirates occurred when grad transfer Andra Espinoza-Hunter, a guard formerly of Mississippi State, was granted a legislative relief waiver in late December. Espinoza-Hunter originally had been scheduled to sit out the season after having transferred in only three weeks earlier. She averaged 18.6 points. Sophomore guard Lauren Park-Lane averaged 17.5 points and 5.4 assists.
“Andra turned everything around,” Bozzella said, “not just because she was a great player, but because she’s a great person and a great leader.
“I call her the mother hen of the team because she just unified everyone,” he added. “No ego, and played her rear end off.”
“We have some room for some kids to grow,” Bozzella said, “like (guards) Mya Jackson (10.6 ppg) and Mya Bembry (4.3 ppg).”
As for Funeus, “the earliest she’ll play is next January,” Bozzella said. In fact, it’s possible her injury might be severe enough to end her basketball career. It is unclear at this point.
He does expect Dean to return to her pre-injury form.
“We expected her to start and average 10-15 points,” last season, Bozzella said. “I have no doubt she’ll do a real good job.”
Besides the returning players, it is hoped by then a full complement of fans will be back, and they will be able to enjoy a refurbished Walsh Gymnasium.
“I think it’s going to help us in recruiting,” Bozzella said of the improvements, which will include seatbacks for the bleachers on the court level and in the upstairs area. “I think it’s going to help our fans to not have a sore back and be stiff all over. It’s great. We’re so excited.”
The coach also is looking forward to the return of the cheerleaders and dance team.
“I love all of them,” he said. “They work hard. They practice hard and they’re so supportive of our team and we really missed them this year.
“And our band--to hear our school song when we come out of the locker room changes everything. Our girls miss it so much.”
Bozzella noted that “we had four sellouts last season (2019-20). It’s a hard place to play. It’s loud. It's small. It’s unlike any place we play.”
Last season was noteworthy for the return of powerhouse Connecticut, which captured the regular-season and tournament titles.
“I'm excited that they’re in the league,” he said. “I'm proud of our kids to go up against UConn and play them as hard as we did and as confidently as we did. We didn’t go into the games thinking we were going to lose at all.”
Seton Hall lost by 27 in the first meeting but led the Huskies by one at halftime of the rematch before losing by 21.
When asked about his assistant coaches, Bozzella noted that lead assistant Lauren DeFalco, who is a candidate for the Monmouth head coaching job, would be a great fit there. Of course, it would be difficult for Bozzella to lose her.
“Lauren has been amazing,” he said. “Lauren loves Seton Hall. “She’s very intense, very demanding. We fight sometimes like brother and sister, or like father and daughter, because she wants to win and do well.”
He added, “She's a great role model. She demands the best out of them. This group really connected with her better than any team I've had because they all have the same goals.”
As for the rest of the staff, Bozzella mentioned, “Marissa's (Flagg) been with me a long time as a player. She knows me well. And we all know how great Jose (Rebimbas) is. I am proud of my staff. I was sick a lot and they covered for me. They carried me when I needed their help.
I couldn’t have done it without the whole staff,” he added, “led by Lauren. She took a lot of pressure off me.”
"Let me also add the names of Pete Cinella and Jose again, two former head coaches whose experience was vital to our success."
"We are blessed to have such a great staff at Seton Hall, from them to Shaaliyah Lyons, our amazing DOBO who kept everything running smoothly, to Didi Simmons who was an exceptional resource for the kids to lean on when needed."
Bozzella thanked the Seton Hall administration for its support too, noting the team flew charters to “all our away games for the first time because of safety and protocol.”
He believes the lack of non-conference games because of the pandemic hurt the team’s chances to make the NCAAs, but doesn’t regret turning down a bid to the 16-team NIT. Bozzella said unlike the Big East regular season and tournament, the NIT would’ve involved competing against teams with different protocols.
“Safety was the main issue,” he said, adding, “our players were exhausted. A lot of it was mental fatigue. … We felt mentally and physically we were too fatigued.”
Bozzella admires what has been done in the practice gym in the basement of Walsh.
“The job Kevin Willard and his staff have done is amazing,” Bozzella said. “We haven’t had his success NCAA-wise but we’ve had that success post-season-wise." He adds, "I've learned so much from him.”
With the likely passage this spring of on NCAA rule repealing the need for transfers to sit out a season before playing at a new school, coaches and programs will have to adapt. Bozzella is well aware of this.
“A lot of it is whether the kids appreciate the school,” he said. “If they don’t appreciate Seton Hall, we’re going to have a hard time."
“It's going to be the challenge of all challenges for us.” he added. “As coaches we’re going to have to adapt. Do I know the exact way to do it right now? Partially. But I can tell you the best way to do it is to continue to have a great staff and a bunch of people on your staff that care and an athletic department and athletic administration at your school that cares about basketball. And they do at our place. There's no question about that.”
One thing is for sure. Bozzella himself won’t change.
“I'm going to be emotional,” he said. “I'm going to be passionate. But at the end of the day, I care about these kids. No matter what anyone thinks, at the end of the day, we want what’s best for our players."
