South Orange, NJ – The first four minutes of the game, the coaching axiom tells us, is very important. Get off to a good start. ‘Win’ those ‘first four’ and you may be on your way to a successful game. Winning the first four is something coaches aspire, but not an ironclad guarantee you will be ahead when the final buzzer sounds.
The Providence women won the first four at Seton Hall on Friday, 11-6. Definitely a positive start. The Friars could not sustain, dropping a one-sided 67-40 decision to the white-hot Pirates. Seton Hall simply defended to a superlative degree of excellence. They limited the Friars to 25% shooting while allowing just a 58 offensive efficiency. Teams aspire to reach 100 in that latter category.
While the first four minutes of the game are important, there are those coaches telling you the first four after the break are even of greater prominence. Seton Hall, ahead 36-22 at intermission, ‘won’ those first four 7-2 and never looked back. More than the margin, extending the lead to 19, was the energy level exerted by the Pirates over the beginning of the half. An energy level that simply carried on and was evident straight to the final buzzer.
Coaches want that good start in both halves, hoping the four of execution and effort translates into forty.
Daisha Simmons on the move for Seton Hall:
Providence coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl:
Ka-Deidre Simmons of Seton Hall distributes:
Seton Hall coach Tony Bozzella confers with assistants:
Eva Liskola of Providence, a 19-point scorer the first meeting, closely guarded and held to eight on Friday:
With the victory decided, the cheerleaders can take a well-deserved break:
Ka-Deidre Simmons accommodates a fan with a postgame autograph:
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