Sixth-seeded St. John’s women’s basketball team was eliminated from the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals after a close 63-61 loss to third-seeded Seton Hall on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Seton Hall led by as many as 13 points late in the second quarter, but St. John’s narrowed the gap several times and came within one point on three occasions during the game. Despite their efforts, St. John’s could not overtake Seton Hall before time expired.
Jailah Donald led St. John’s with a career-high 15 points. Shaulana Wagner and Brooke Moore each contributed 11 points, with Wagner also recording a game-high seven assists. The trio combined for efficient shooting, going 14-of-22 from the field and helping drive a fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
For Seton Hall, Jordana Codio delivered an outstanding performance by scoring a career-best 35 points—more than half of her team’s total.
The first quarter saw both teams exchanging baskets until Seton Hall took an early lead following consecutive three-pointers by Codio. By the end of the opening period, St. John’s had reduced its deficit to two points at 16-14.
In the second quarter, Seton Hall went on a 10-0 run fueled by three-point shooting to build a double-digit advantage. However, St. John’s responded with long-range shots from Donald, Ariel Little, and Kylie Lavelle to cut into the Pirates’ lead before halftime.
After halftime, both teams continued their success from beyond the arc. Donald made her fifth three-pointer of the night in the third quarter, but Codio kept Seton Hall ahead. A notable play included an alley-oop pass from Wagner to Moore that brought St. John’s closer at 53-47 heading into the final period.
St. John’s mounted another push in the fourth quarter behind Wagner’s solo scoring run that again brought them within one point of Seton Hall at 58-57. With less than a minute remaining in regulation and trailing by three points, Sa’Mya Wyatt hit a jumper to make it 62-61; however, after Seton Hall added one more point at the free throw line and with only seconds left on the clock, St. John’s was unable to score on its final possession.
St. John’s finished its season with an overall record of 22 wins and 11 losses and posted an 11-9 record in conference play.
