South Orange, N.J. — Seton Hall’s late rally came up just short Thursday night as Fairfield escaped Walsh Gymnasium with a 69-67 victory, overcoming a career milestone performance from Pirates senior Savannah Catalon.
Catalon poured in a game-high 29 points, reaching the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career in the process. However, Seton Hall couldn’t overcome a difficult third quarter that allowed the Stags to build a double-digit advantage.
The Pirates (2-1) found themselves in a competitive contest early, but Fairfield (3-0) seized control with a decisive 15-0 scoring run after the teams were tied at 32 early in the third quarter.
Seton Hall struggled to find its rhythm from beyond the arc, missing its first eight three-point attempts before finally connecting late in the third period. Fairfield capitalized on the Pirates’ offensive difficulties, taking a 57-42 advantage into the final quarter.
Rather than surrender, Seton Hall mounted an aggressive comeback.
The Pirates opened the fourth quarter with a 13-2 surge, with Catalon accounting for 11 of those points. Her offensive production helped bring Seton Hall within 59-55 with 4:45 remaining.
Catalon continued to attack the basket, pulling the Pirates within three at 62-59 with just over three minutes remaining. Seton Hall had opportunities to close the gap further but couldn’t come up with the basket needed to even the score.
Samari Bankhead gave the Pirates one final opportunity when she connected on a three-pointer with four seconds remaining, cutting Fairfield’s advantage to 69-67. The comeback, however, ran out of time.
Catalon Makes History
Despite the loss, Catalon delivered a memorable individual performance. Her opening three-point play marked her 1,000th career point, making her the 26th player in Seton Hall women’s basketball history to reach the milestone.
She finished 8-of-15 from the field and an impressive 11-of-12 at the free-throw line. Catalon also contributed four rebounds and two steals while drawing 14 fouls.
She became just the seventh player in program history to record at least 1,000 career points and 200 steals. Her two steals moved her past former teammate Amari Wright into sixth place on Seton Hall’s all-time steals list with 216.
Ksenija Scepanovic provided additional offensive support, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting. She also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked two shots.
Shamira Morton contributed a career-best eight points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Fairfield’s Third-Quarter Surge Proves Decisive
Fairfield established an early advantage, opening the game with an 11-3 run. Seton Hall responded with an 8-0 stretch after the Stags went scoreless for more than four minutes. Scepanovic’s basket tied the contest at 11 before Fairfield closed the opening period with a 15-11 lead.
The Pirates continued to battle in the second quarter. After falling behind 30-18, Seton Hall answered with a 10-0 run over the final 4:12 of the half to make it a two-point game. Fairfield carried a narrow 32-28 lead into halftime.
Scepanovic scored twice early in the third quarter to pull Seton Hall even at 32. That would be the turning point, as Fairfield responded with its 15-point unanswered run to take control.
The Stags shot 50 percent from the floor in the third quarter, creating a cushion that ultimately proved difficult for the Pirates to erase.
By the Numbers
Seton Hall actually finished with a better overall shooting percentage, connecting on 24 of 54 attempts (44.4%) compared with Fairfield’s 24-of-60 performance (40%).
However, the difference came from three-point shooting. The Pirates struggled, making just 3 of 14 attempts (21.4%), while Fairfield converted 7 of 24 (29.2%).
Seton Hall controlled the rebounding battle, 41-30, including a 15-13 advantage on the offensive glass. The Pirates also made 16 of 20 free throws (80%), while Fairfield went 14-of-18 (77.8%).
Turnovers proved costly. Seton Hall committed 20, compared with 15 by Fairfield, allowing the Stags to generate a 20-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
What’s Next:
Seton Hall will look to regroup Sunday, November 15, when the Pirates welcome NC State to Walsh Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The game will be available on ESPN+ and WSOU 89.5 FM.
