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PROVO, UTAH Junior Brian Laing (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded his second straight double-double and completed a tie-breaking three-point play with only 37.7 seconds remaining to boost Seton Hall to an 85-81 victory over Liberty in the second night of the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic.
Laing finished the game with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Paul Gause (Pittsgrove, N.J.) added 14 points and his trademark strong defensive prowess which resulted in five steals. Freshman Eugene Harvey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pumped in 18 points and a team-high five assists. Junior Jamar Nutter (Bloomfield, N.J.) had a good all-round game with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Larry Blair led Liberty (6-6) with 22 points, 16 of which came in the second half. Dwight Brewington scored 20 for Flames while Alex McLean added a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
Seton Hall had a comfortable halftime lead, 42-31, and started the second half with an 8-2 run that pushed the margin to a game-high 17 points at 50-33 with 17:59 remaining. But a 13-0 Liberty run cut the Pirates’ lead to four, 50-46, with 14:33 left. Shortly thereafter, senior Stan Gaines (Chicago, Ill.), who finished with eight points and a team-high three blocks, picked up his fourth foul at the 13:46 mark and was forced to the bench.
Each team traded buckets, with the Flames inching closer, until a jumper by Blair tied the game at 65 with 6:40 remaining. The game remained close with the teams tying at 71, 75 and finally at 79, until Laing converted a three-point play to give the Pirates an 82-79 lead with 37.7 second left in regulation. On Liberty’s next possession, Gause picked up his fifth steal at the top of the key, raced towards the open basket and was fouled with 28.2 seconds to go. After connecting on the second of two shots, the Pirate lead was extended to 83-79. A long rebound by Harvey on Liberty’s ensuing possession led to an easy lay-up to seal the Pirates’ victory.
Laing’s double-double is his second straight and fourth of the season. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Oral Roberts in the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic opener last night.
The Pirates won despite being out-shot, 51.7 percent to 45.3 percent, and out-rebounded, 39-to-34. However, Seton Hall forced 20 turnovers and committed only 10, while adding to their BIG EAST-best steals per game average with 15 in the victory.
The win improves Seton Hall’s record to 8-3 overall and 1-1 at the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic. The Pirates will finish out the tournament tomorrow night as they take on the host, Brigham Young. Game time is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST.
