The Hall grabbed a season-best 56 rebounds in the victory
Aleesha Powell scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds
Nov. 26, 2015
Final Stats | Box Score (PDF)
CANCUN, Mexico - The No. 25 Seton Hall women's basketball team improved to 6-0 with a 58-55 victory over previously unbeaten North Carolina State on Thursday night at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya. The contest was The Hall's first at the 2015 Cancun Challenge.
In a defensive slugfest that saw both teams shoot under 34 percent from the floor, it was Seton Hall's 56-39 rebounding advantage that helped it come away with the win. Tiffany Jones (New York, N.Y.) led The Hall with 12 boards, while Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) and Lubirdia Gordon (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) each grabbed eight.
On the offensive end, Richardson-Smith paced The Hall with 18 points and Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 17 to go along with a career-high seven rebounds. Five of her caroms came on the offensive glass, leading to a pair of put-back buckets. Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.) was the third Pirate in double-figures with 10 and also added six rebounds and four assists.
The Pirates led by six after a quarter, but the Wolfpack cut the lead to one at the half. Seton Hall went up by six after the third quarter and led by as many as 10 in the fourth, but NC State battled back to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. Richardson-Smith hit three free throws in the final 30 seconds of regulation and finished 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the contest.
Turning Point
After a Richardson-Smith free throw gave The Hall a 55-53 lead with under 15 seconds to play, NC State got a look from three with 1.9 seconds to play. Gordon was there to partially block the shot, and effectively seal the contest. The Wolfpack came up with an uncontested lay-in to cut the lead to one, but Richardson-Smith coolly knocked down two more from the line with 0.4 seconds left to ice the victory.
Head Coach Anthony Bozzella on the result
"We won this game because of toughness. While we didn't have our best shooting performance, it was our heart and our defense that gave us the ability to finish tonight."
Inside The Numbers
- The Pirates grabbed a season-high 56 rebounds and won the rebounding battle by 17, one shy of their season-best (+18 at Saint Joseph's)
- Lubirdia Gordon set a new career-high with eight rebounds, as did Powell with seven
- The Pirates held NC State to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor and 23.8 percent from 3-point range
- The Hall has limited five of six opponents to 57 points or fewer
- The Pirates went 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line in the second half
News and Notes
- NC State took a 25-24 lead in the second quarter, marking the first time this season The Hall has trailed
- Jordan Molyneaux (Denver, Colo.) scored her first career points with a fourth-quarter jumper and grabbed a career-best four rebounds
- The Hall improves to 5-0 in Thanksgiving Tournament play under Bozzella
- The Pirates are 6-0 for the fourth time in program history (1992-93, '89-90 and '77-78)
Up Next
The Pirates conclude play at the 2015 Cancun Challenge on Friday night with a 9 p.m. showdown against Northern Iowa. The match-up will be streamed on YouTube Live and can be heard on WSOU, 89.5 FM.
Pirate Women's Basketball Home
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/112615aaa.html
Aleesha Powell scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds
Nov. 26, 2015
Final Stats | Box Score (PDF)
CANCUN, Mexico - The No. 25 Seton Hall women's basketball team improved to 6-0 with a 58-55 victory over previously unbeaten North Carolina State on Thursday night at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya. The contest was The Hall's first at the 2015 Cancun Challenge.
In a defensive slugfest that saw both teams shoot under 34 percent from the floor, it was Seton Hall's 56-39 rebounding advantage that helped it come away with the win. Tiffany Jones (New York, N.Y.) led The Hall with 12 boards, while Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) and Lubirdia Gordon (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) each grabbed eight.
On the offensive end, Richardson-Smith paced The Hall with 18 points and Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 17 to go along with a career-high seven rebounds. Five of her caroms came on the offensive glass, leading to a pair of put-back buckets. Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.) was the third Pirate in double-figures with 10 and also added six rebounds and four assists.
The Pirates led by six after a quarter, but the Wolfpack cut the lead to one at the half. Seton Hall went up by six after the third quarter and led by as many as 10 in the fourth, but NC State battled back to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. Richardson-Smith hit three free throws in the final 30 seconds of regulation and finished 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the contest.
Turning Point
After a Richardson-Smith free throw gave The Hall a 55-53 lead with under 15 seconds to play, NC State got a look from three with 1.9 seconds to play. Gordon was there to partially block the shot, and effectively seal the contest. The Wolfpack came up with an uncontested lay-in to cut the lead to one, but Richardson-Smith coolly knocked down two more from the line with 0.4 seconds left to ice the victory.
Head Coach Anthony Bozzella on the result
"We won this game because of toughness. While we didn't have our best shooting performance, it was our heart and our defense that gave us the ability to finish tonight."
Inside The Numbers
- The Pirates grabbed a season-high 56 rebounds and won the rebounding battle by 17, one shy of their season-best (+18 at Saint Joseph's)
- Lubirdia Gordon set a new career-high with eight rebounds, as did Powell with seven
- The Pirates held NC State to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor and 23.8 percent from 3-point range
- The Hall has limited five of six opponents to 57 points or fewer
- The Pirates went 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line in the second half
News and Notes
- NC State took a 25-24 lead in the second quarter, marking the first time this season The Hall has trailed
- Jordan Molyneaux (Denver, Colo.) scored her first career points with a fourth-quarter jumper and grabbed a career-best four rebounds
- The Hall improves to 5-0 in Thanksgiving Tournament play under Bozzella
- The Pirates are 6-0 for the fourth time in program history (1992-93, '89-90 and '77-78)
Up Next
The Pirates conclude play at the 2015 Cancun Challenge on Friday night with a 9 p.m. showdown against Northern Iowa. The match-up will be streamed on YouTube Live and can be heard on WSOU, 89.5 FM.
Pirate Women's Basketball Home
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/112615aaa.html
Kevin Willard @KevinWillard 
