Just the Facts, Ma’am: Seton Hall used a big third quarter to pull away from Jacksonville State, 73-54. Taylor Brown had a team-high 19 points, with JaQuan Jackson and Shadeen Samuels each adding 18. Rayven Pearson had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Jacksonville State.
For physicality, flying forwards, a three-headed monster, small trophies, coaches who need throat lozenges, and banging the bleachers, join your intrepid and slightly demented blogger after the jump.
On to the next one! This one’s for the hardware, such as it is (the trophies have been sitting on a table by the doors since before the first game, and I’m underwhelmed). Jacksonville State will take on the hosts, Seton Hall.
Jacksonville State’s guards look smaller today than they did yesterday. I guess that’s just in comparison to Seton Hall.
Watch out for the speed bump! The plastic covering for the media table’s cords almost took out a passing pedestrian.
Small correction from yesterday’s notes: the name and number tees don’t belong to the team, but to Nicole Jimenez’s family. They’re clustered over by the tunnel. I feel bad for the kid with the broken leg having to navigate the tight bleachers here at Walsh.
Someone on Jacksonville State is from Baltimore. Someone on Jacksonville State also has a proud relative taking pictures.
At halftime, Seton Hall is up 32-28. Shadeen Samuels has 10. Taylor Brown got off to a good start, but got sidelined by fouls. Holy crap on a cracker, the officiating is bad. So bad. I can’t believe Tony’s jacket is still on, that’s how bad it's been. And the coat is coming off for the second half. THIS R SRS GME NAO.
Big third quarter for the Pirates, and that was the difference. Jacksonville State was extremely physical, and there were a couple of moments when I thought there was going to be some vigilante justice meted out, because heaven knows the officials weren’t actually going to do anything to earn their pay.
The Gamecocks went to their deep bench late in the game, which allowed Jayla Walker to get a three-pointer. (Our Jayla’s better.) Kiana Johnson has pretty hair, though I’m surprised she wears it loose like that- doesn’t it get in her face and impede her vision? I like McKenna Lawrence’s dye-job, too; it’s almost perfect team colors. She got some extended run today that she didn’t get yesterday, and took full advantage of it by getting to the rack. I was surprised Leah Strain didn’t play more; I’d have thought she’d be a good match-up with Seton Hall’s tiny guards, but I guess their coach figured they’d cancel each other out too much for her size to be anything but a liability.
Poor Chloe Long. The calls in the paint were not kind to her, though the counterargument would be that she needs to learn the new location of the charge circle. There was one play where I thought she was set, outside the paint, and toppled over like a sapling in slow-motion... and then got called for the block. She’s very bendy, and used that to her advantage on the glass. Morgan Towells had opportunities early on, but got her shot blocked. You’d think I’d remember more about someone with a bright blonde mini-Afro, but at this point I’m having trouble remembering social niceties, so I apologize. Taylor Hawks was out there and playing hard, but I’m drawing a blank on anything else she did, and I am so sorry. Rayven Pearson was extremely physical, and took advantage of her size; when she had shorter defenders on her she shot over them, and when she had slighter defenders on her she pushed them around. She was able to muscle offensive rebounds at the basket and put them back up. I’d like her to be more careful with her feet, especially if she’s playing teams that I like, but I have to say I think I’d like her if she played for one of my teams.
Tasha Magruder did not make herself popular in South Orange in the early going. I think she was the one who caused Donnaizha to be hurt, and whether it was intentional or not it wasn’t very nice. She was extremely casual with her elbows, and I have a problem with that. When she got called for back to back fouls in the third quarter, it was immensely satisfying. I still don’t know the story behind “Coco” Phelion, though it might be on their website. At some point when I actually have time, I should probably look that up. I don’t remember her taking threes yesterday, but she was lining them up today, and they actually looked pretty good. There’s something I can’t put my finger on that I think I like about her, though it’s probably not her propensity to trip opponents. I get using your whole body, but there have to be limits somewhere, right?
Gretchen Morrison got off one of those corner threes she was hitting with such timing yesterday, but otherwise couldn’t buy a bucket. Her height was an advantage, though Coach Bozzella game-planned for that as well. Ki-Ki Patterson had a quiet offensive game, but was active on defense. There was a sequence where JSU’s coach was yelling at her to switch, but I’m not sure if it was because the other player was getting badly burned, or because she was out of position. I think it was the former, because I seem to recall a really nice offensive play by Seton Hall on the prior possession. Brianna Perry is tiny and fierce, and seemed to have the green light to drive whenever and wherever she wanted. Driving into a packed paint when you’re five-foot-tiny is not always a good idea, though there were a fair number of times it drew a foul.
We didn’t have to start the chants to get the deep bench into the game- Tony put everyone in at the end. Heck, Tyeisha Smith even got minutes in the first half, which is a thing I’ve never seen before and may never see again. (They were not good minutes. She’s not ready for primetime.) I feel like we could have gotten some more minutes out of Jayla Jones-Pack, though. Kimi Evans had a good defensive game, though I’d like to see her hit a free throw at some time in the near future. She’ll get there, I’m sure. Selena Philoxy got pushed around underneath by Pearson. You could see her trying to hold her ground and failing. Miserably. She tracked offensive rebounds well, though.
Quiet game for Deja Winters, though she got into it earlier than she did yesterday. There was a sequence where she scrambled for a steal and then promptly threw the ball to Jacksonville State. I think I said something along the lines of “Good steal Deja WHY DID YOU DO THAT?” all in one breath on that play. I love her motor. Coach seemed to be experimenting with Nicole Jimenez playing a little bit of two, but I don’t think he knows what he wants to do with her at this point. Some of those lineups were very strange. Kaela Hilaire stole the show at point guard, with a pass so pretty Imma link the video