The Pirates ended the regular season with a bang. Seton Hall (17-14 overall) upset Providence (21-10 overall) with a final score of 82-58. However, the game meant more for the Friars compared to the Pirates since their seeding could be affected by it. The Pirates were locked in for the seventh seed in the Big East Tournament regardless of this game’s outcome.
Photo Credit: Amica Mutual Pavilion
A One-Sided First Half
At halftime, the Hall led the 20th-ranked Providence by nineteen points with a score of 44-25. The Pirates outplayed PROV on both ends of the floor. They shot a phenomenal 65% from the field and finished the half on a 17-2 run. It was their highest-scoring first half of the season, and their 26 points in the paint helped them dominate.
Meanwhile, the Friars’ defense lacked physicality and their offense could not find a rhythm. They shot 9% (1/11 FG) from three in the first half and they had 0 points scored off the bench. In comparison, Seton had 13 bench points and their defense held PROV to a 36% shooting percentage from the field.
Photo Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Hall Stands Tall
The second half was more of the same story. Tyrese Samuel fell into foul trouble with ample time remaining in the game. At first, this was a bad sign for HALL. The Friars went on a 16-5 run to cut Seton Hall’s lead to 13 points. However, this was the closest that the score would be.
The Hall proceeded to stun Providence for the remainder of the game. The Pirates finished the night shooting 62.5% from the field and 55.6% from the three-point line. Their defense held PROV to 40.4% from the field and 17.4% from beyond the arc.
Photo Credit: Seton Hall University Athletics Photo Cred: What’s Up Newp
Holloway’s Way
The Pirates were still dealing with injuries. Both Kadary Richmond (back) and Tray Jackson (ankle) were unable to play this game. However, that made no difference to Coach Shaheen Holloway. “It’s tournament time. It’s March. Doesn’t matter who’s on the court. We just got to come and play”, he said.
Photo Credit: Times Union
Dre Davis and the Pirates Catch Fire
It was an incredible shooting night for the Pirates, with four players in the double figures. Dre Davis had a phenomenal game off the bench with 24 points (9-10 FG). He provided excellent shooting, as he shot 90% from the field and made all four of his three-point attempts. Femi Odukale stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points (7-10 FG), eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals. KC Ndefo had 15 points (5-8 FG) and Al-Amir Dawes had 11 points (4-11 FG).
Photo Credit: Fox Sports
The Tournament Awaits
With this, the regular season has concluded. It was a rollercoaster for the Pirates with several ups and downs throughout the year. This win snaps their three-game losing streak and should give them some confidence heading into the Big East Tournament. Their matchup in the first round is against the 10th-seeded DePaul Blue Demons (9-21 overall). Seton Hall swept DePaul in their regular season matchups, but both games were decided by five or fewer points. Their game will be on March 8th in Madison Square Garden.
Photo Credit: Events – DePaul University
