Pirates Battle, But Fall to No. 5 LSU, 91-64 - Seton Hall University Athletics
Graduate student Faith Masonius (Spring Lake, N.J.) scored a career-high 29 points, but the short-handed Seton Hall women's basketball team fell to No. 5 LSU...
11. LSU 91, Seton Hall 64 (F) WBB Box Score - Seton Hall University Athletics
11. LSU 91, Seton Hall 64 (F) WBB Box Score
UNCASVILLE, CONN. – Graduate student Faith Masonius (Spring Lake, N.J.) scored a career-high 29 points, but the short-handed Seton Hall women's basketball team fell to No. 5 LSU, 91-64, at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday.
The Pirates hung with the undefeated Tigers for a quarter, but LSU ran away from The Hall in the second. The Tigers used a 14-2 run to take the lead for good, and ultimately outscored the Pirates, 30-to-10, in the fateful second quarter. Seton Hall didn't fade after the break, and matched LSU, 39-to-39, in the second half.
Masonius tallied a career-high 29 points to go with five rebounds, and three steals. Freshman Jada Eads (Orlando, Fla.) had a career-best 20 points along with four rebounds and two assists.
Seeing her first game action of the year, after originally hoping to redshirt, sophomore Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick (New London, Conn.) turned in her best collegiate effort with career-highs of four points, three assists, two steals and a team-high seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
THE STORY:
A turnaround jumper by Masonius gave The Hall a 13-12 lead with 3:20 left in the first quarter. The Hall, however, was limited to just one made field goal for the remainder of the quarter. It was still a one-possession game with LSU leading 18-15, until the Tigers scored twice in the final six seconds to take a 22-15 lead into the second.
Leading 25-17, LSU asserted itself with a 14-2 burst early in the second quarter to grab a commanding 39-19 advantage with 6:14 to go before halftime. The Tigers out-scored The Hall, 30-to-10 in the second quarter and took a 52-25 lead into the break. LSU shot 57.1 percent in the first half, compared to just 30.3 percent for the Pirates.
Despite the large deficit, the Pirates never stopped working. The Hall outscored LSU, 24-to-19, in the third quarter, and a three-pointer by Yaya Lops (Stamford, Conn.) cut the Pirates' deficit to 73-54 with 7:44 left in the contest. The Hall couldn't draw closer.
THE NUMBERS:
- Seton Hall was 22-for-71 (31.0%) from the floor for the game, while LSU was 36-for-67 (53.7%). The Hall was 8-for-34 (23.5%) from three-point range, while the Tigers were 9-for-20 (45.0%).
- Masonius had a career-high 29 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. She also had five rebounds and three steals.
- Both teams pulled down 41 rebounds, but the Pirates had a 19-to-11 advantage on the offensive glass and a 22-to-12 lead in second-chance points.
- Eads had a career-high 20 points and had four made three-pointers. She also had four rebounds and two assists.
- Seton Hall was 12-for-13 (92.3%) from the free-throw line, while LSU was 10-for-13 (76.9%).
- Lops had nine points and five rebounds.
- Seton Hall forced 13 turnovers, while the Tigers forced 15. LSU had a 19-to-7 advantage in points-off-turnovers.
- Bland-Fitzpatrick had four points, three assists, two steals and a team-best seven rebounds in 27 minutes… all career-highs.
- Seton Hall closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule at 8-3, while LSU improves to a perfect 13-0.
- The Hall is now 0-2 all-time against the Tigers.
- LSU entered the game leading the nation with 51.8 rebounds per game and a +18.9 rebounding margin. Seton Hall tied LSU tonight 41-to-41, and had a 19-to-11 advantage in offensive boards.
- Tonight was the 120th career game played for Amari Wright (Jacksonville, Fla.), which ties her with Dawn Johnson and former teammate Lauren Park-Lane for fourth-most in Seton Hall history.
- Masonius scored at least 20 points for the fifth time this season, which leads The Hall.
- Junior Messiah Hunter (Hopewell, Va.) made her first collegiate start tonight.
- With the Pirates battling injury woes, sophomore Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick (New London, Conn.) made her season debut and collected career-highs of four points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Seton Hall will return to action on Saturday, December 21 when it opens BIG EAST Conference play against Providence in historic Walsh Gymnasium. Tip time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live by the BIG EAST Digital Network and available for FloCollege subscribers. As always, 89.5 FM WSOU or wsou.net will also carry the contest.
