Pirate Defense Stifles VCU, 53-33

Tuesday, November 12

South Orange, N.J.

7:00 PM

Seton Hall University

3-0,0-0Big East

VCU

1-1,0-0Atlantic 10

VCU

Seton Hall

11/12/2019 10:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score HOME BOX SCORE

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall women's basketball team held VCU without a three-pointer and only 27.5% from the field as they improved to 3-0 with a 53-33 victory over the Rams at historic Walsh Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Seton Hall's stifling defense held VCU, the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason favorites, to just 33 points, the fewest by a Pirate opponent since they routed Stony Brook, 65-30, on Dec. 17, 2011.

Offensively, senior Alexis Lewis (Pittston, Pa.) led all scorers with 13 points, which included three made three-pointers. Senior Shadeen Samuels (Ossining, N.Y.) had nine points to go with 11 rebounds. Junior Selena Philoxy (Queens, N.Y.) had a strong game, pulling down 11 rebounds in only 18 minutes off the bench.

The Story:
Seton Hall's best performances came in the odd quarters. The Pirates broke the game open from the start, limiting VCU to just 1-for-14 from the field and out-scoring the Rams, 17-to-4 in the opening salvo.

The Pirates shot only 16.7% in the second quarter, so VCU cut into their lead, but The Hall still carried a 10-point advantage into halftime. Out of the break, the Seton Hall offense took off again. A layup by Samuels capped an 8-2 run for The Hall, which gave them a 33-17 lead with 5:35 left in the third. After a Ram bucket, the Pirates put together a 13-3 burst, and a pair of free throws by Philoxy gave The Hall its largest lead of the game, 46-22.

From there, VCU never cut their deficit to less than 16 points.

Inside the Numbers:

Seton Hall was 19-for-58 (32.8%) from the floor for the game, while VCU was 14-for-51 (27.5%). The Hall was 5-for-22 (22.7%) from three-point range, while the Rams were 0-for-10.
Lewis scored a game-high 13 points, grabbed four rebounds and recorded a team-best four steals.
The Pirates out-rebounded the Rams, 46-to-35, including 12-to-6 in offensive rebounds. The Hall out-scored VCU, 11-to-0, in second-chance points.
Samuels finished with nine points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Neither team shot particularly well from the free-throw line. The Hall was 10-for-17 (58.8%), while VCU was 5-for-13 (38.5%).
Philoxy had four points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
Seton Hall won the turnover battle, committing 19, compared to 24 for VCU.

News & Notes:

Seton Hall improves to 3-0 on the young season, while VCU falls to 1-1.
The Pirates are now 2-1 all-time against the Rams.
Seton Hall improves to 45-4 against non-conference teams in Walsh Gym during the Anthony Bozzella era.
Seton Hall's 33 points allowed were the fewest since defeating Stony Brook, 65-30, on Dec. 17, 2011.
Seton Hall's 46 rebounds tonight were a season high.
The Pirates are 3-0 for fifth time in seven years under Head Coach Anthony Bozzella.
Through three games, Seton Hall is out-scoring its opponents by an average of 25.3 points.

Up Next:
Seton Hall will return to action on Friday, Nov. 15 when it hosts Princeton in historic Walsh Gymnasium. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Pirate Sports Network will provide the video stream for SHUpirates.com.