SOUTH ORANGE – The Seton Hall Pirates (7-3) concluded their non-conference slate Tuesday with a 74-65 victory over the Washington State Cougars (1-11). It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
In seasons past, Seton Hall head coach Tony Bozzella has included home matchups against foes from the western part of the country. Two years ago, a ranked UNLV squad arrived in South Orange and was upset by the Pirates. Last season, San Francisco made an appearance in Walsh Gymnasium and nearly took down the Pirates.
This December, the Cougars made the long trip from Pullman, Wash., and brought the intensity for the final three quarters of Tuesday’s contest. Entering the 2025-2026 season, the Cougars were picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference (WCC). However, injuries and a tough non-conference schedule have so far derailed the Cougars’ promising season.
This gave Seton Hall a boost of confidence after winning Sunday against Auburn. Coach Bozzella spoke about this unique matchup postgame.
“They were looking to come east, and they needed a game, and we wanted to play a quality opponent,” Bozzella said. “Don’t look at their record, look at their record last year, look at their record the year before, they’re a good basketball team.”
While the duo of guards in sophomore Jada Eads and junior Savannah Catalon did their parts in securing the victory, neither was the leading scorer for Seton Hall. It was a freshman from Minneapolis, Minn., who dazzled the hardwood on Tuesday night.
Guard Zahara Bishop started her Pirate career with a bang against Saint Peter’s on November 4, registering 15 points. Since then, she earned her first start against Auburn, but had not registered double-digit points since that first game of the season. That would change against Washington State, however.
Bishop scored a career-high 19 points and earned her first collegiate double-double with 10 rebounds as well. It was by far her best performance of her young career. Bishop was also vital towards the end of the game, knocking down all four of her free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter.
“We want to get her in there; she gives us a little more offensive punch,” Bozzella said.
Some credit does deserve to be given to the Cougars, though. The leading scorer for Washington State in junior guard Eleonora Villa, did her part in keeping her team alive throughout the contest. Concluding the night with 17 points, 13 of those arriving in the second half, Villa and the Cougars were able to put up a fight.
“I give Washington State a lot of credit, they’re extremely well coached, they’re way better than their record, they played a really challenging schedule. They have some of the best coaches in the country, and they never gave up, never gave up, never gave up.”
With the non-conference portion of the schedule finished for Seton Hall, it’s back to Big East play this weekend. The Pirates will head on the road this Friday and Monday to tackle some of their fiercest foes in Villanova and Creighton. Both contests will stream on ESPN+.
