Pirates Host No. 4 UConn, Thursday in Walsh Gym

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Walsh Gymnasium

SETON HALL (5-3) vs. No. 4 CONNECTICUT (6-0)

Date

Time

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Thursday,
Dec. 5

6:30 PM ET

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@SHUWBB

PREVIEW
Seton Hall returns to action on Thursday when it hosts No. 4 Connecticut at historic Walsh Gymnasium. Tip-time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on FS1, and as usual, you can always count on our games being carried live on the radio via 89.5 FM WSOU.

LAST GAME
Senior Alexis Lewis (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) scored a game-high 24 points and the Pirates rallied from a six-point fourth quarter deficit to edge Vanderbilt, 69-65, in their final game of the 2019 Junkanoo Jam on Friday.

The Hall trailed by six points entering the fourth quarter, but outscored the Commodores 21-11 in the final frame to come out on top. Lewis dropped 24 points on 8-for-17 shooting, which included four made three-pointers. She also grabbed eight rebounds, and collected four steals. Junior Desiree Elmore (Hartford, Conn.) tallied 15 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists, while freshman Mya Jackson (Wilmington, Ohio) notched 11 points off the bench.

While several players were deserving of merit, two additional Pirates came off the bench and made major contributions. Sophomore Alexia Allesch (Basking Ridge, N.J.) played nearly 21 minutes and locked down Vanderbilt's leading scorer Mariella Fasoula. She was on the floor for over eight of the 10 fourth quarter minutes and limited Fasoula to only two points. Secondly, freshman McKenna Hofschild (Prior Lake, Minn.) saw an extended run with Lauren Park-Lane (Wilmington, Del.) in foul trouble and scored six points, while dishing out four assists in nearly 14 minutes.

Seton Hall started the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run, and a jumper by Lewis put The Hall back on top, 55-54. Down 60-57, the Pirates went on an 8-0 run, bolstered by three-pointers from Jackson and Lewis, to claim a 65-60 advantage with only 3:40 left to play. From there, the Pirates were able to seal the win on the free-throw line with Park-Lane connecting on three of four from the line with under 30 seconds left to play.

vs.

Seton Hall's All-Time vs. the Huskies: UConn leads 50-10
Last Meeting: UConn 99, HALL 61 – Dec. 8, 2018

LAST MEETING WITH CONNECTICUT
Last season, the Pirates fell by a score of 99-61 to No. 1 UConn on Dec. 8 at the XL Center. The Pirates were outscored by 32 in the first half but fought to the end and were only edged by six points in the second half.

After the Huskies got an early bucket, Kaity Healy knocked down a 3-pointer and gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead. Connecticut responded with a 23-2 run that spanned the next five minutes until Healy snapped the skid with another 3-pointer. UConn would eventually take a 35-13 lead after a quarter and a 61-29 advantage to the half.

The Pirates dug in and fought during the second half, holding UConn to 14 points in the third quarter and only seeing the No. 1 Huskies record a two-point advantage in the frame. The Hall opened the fourth quarter strong, beginning the frame with a 17-8 advantage before UConn closed the game with a 7-0 spurt.

SCOUTING CONNECTICUT
The Huskies are coming another dominant campaign a year ago. Last season, UConn finished with a final record of 35-3 and swept its way through the American Athletic Conference for its sixth straight title. UConn defeated No. 5 Louisville to reach its 12th straight NCAA Final Four. In the national semifinal however, the Huskies fell to No. 3 Notre Dame, 81-76, ending their season.

This year, Connecticut has won all six of its games so far and enters this contest ranked No. 4 in the country. UConn's average margin of victory has been 23.5 points per game so far this year. Seton Hall and UConn have had one common opponent. UConn defeated Vanderbilt by 13 points on Nov. 13, while The Hall downed the Commodores by four points on Friday.

Connecticut currently has four players averaging in double-figures in scoring and is led by Megan Walker's 20.3 points per game. The 6-foot-5 Olivia Nelson-Ododa is averaging a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

UP NEXT
Seton Hall will return to action on Sunday, December 8 when it makes the short trip to New Rochelle, N.Y. for a game at Iona. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and of course will be broadcasted on the radio by 89.5 FM WSOU and wsou.net. Tip-time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.