South Orange, NJ – The Portland Pilots staged a thrilling comeback on Sunday, rallying past Seton Hall 61-55 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.
Trailing 54-46 with just five minutes remaining, the Pilots unleashed a dominant 15-1 run to silence the home crowd at Walsh Gymnasium.
Portland (31-4) took its first lead of the second half when Lucy Shearer’s layup put them ahead 56-55 with 2:41 left on the clock. Despite leading for less than four total minutes, the Pilots controlled the closing moments and never looked back.
Shearer led the charge with 15 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Trista Hull added 14 points, while Alexis Mark and Maisie Burnham contributed 12 and nine points, respectively. Meek orchestrated the offense with a game-high eight assists, along with seven points.
A Game of Runs:
Seton Hall (23-10) controlled much of the first half, out-rebounding and out-shooting Portland while forcing more turnovers. However, despite their strong play, the Pirates only held a 30-25 lead at halftime.
The Hall extended its advantage to 32-25 early in the third quarter, but then endured a four-minute scoring drought. The Pilots capitalized with a 7-0 run, tying the game at 34. Seton Hall responded with a 7-2 burst, highlighted by five points and two steals from Catalon, to reclaim a 41-36 edge entering the final minutes of the third.
A three-pointer from Kaydan Lawson pushed Seton Hall’s lead to its largest of the game, 48-40, with 8:33 remaining. After a free throw by Lops made it 54-46 with 5:02 left, Portland turned the tide. The Pirates went ice cold, missing all seven of their field-goal attempts in the final five minutes. Meanwhile, key players Catalon and Faith Masonius fouled out, leaving Seton Hall unable to stop Portland’s momentum.
By the Numbers:
- Shooting: Portland shot 42.0% (21-for-50), while Seton Hall managed 36.7% (22-for-60). The Pilots hit 6-of-23 from deep (26.1%), while the Pirates went 6-for-25 (24.0%).
- Rebounding: Seton Hall won the rebounding battle 33-31, including a 12-8 edge in offensive boards and second-chance points.
- Key Performers:
- Seton Hall: Eads posted a double-double with 18 points (7-for-19 shooting) and 10 rebounds, along with two steals. Lops added 13 points, five boards, and a block, while Catalon finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Portland: Shearer’s clutch performance helped seal the win, while Hull, Mark, and Burnham provided key contributions.
Season Wrap-Up & Milestones:
- Portland advances to the WBIT National Quarterfinals, while Seton Hall’s season concludes at 23-10.
- This was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
- Despite the loss, Seton Hall remains dominant at home under coach Tony Bozzella, holding a 140-53 record at Walsh Gym during his tenure.
- The Pirates had been 18-0 this season when making more field goals than their opponent—until this game.
- Amari Wright finished her career as Seton Hall’s all-time leader in games played (142).
- Lops reached 200 career blocks, finishing 14th in Seton Hall history despite playing only two seasons.
- Eads led the Pirates in scoring for the ninth time this season, finishing with a 13.8 points per game average—the third-highest freshman scoring average in program history.
- Catalon set a new Seton Hall single-season free-throw percentage record (91.3%, 95-for-104).
Portland now sets its sights on the quarterfinals as they continue their impressive run through the WBIT.
