Seton Hall University
Oklahoma
Pirates Edged by Oklahoma
11/22/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2013
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Sophomore guard Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) led five Pirates in double-figures with a career-high 26 points, but a wild finish in the semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Barclays Center left Seton Hall (3-2) with an 86-85 setback to Oklahoma (4-0). Sooners' sophomore guard Buddy Hield sank two free-throws with nine seconds remaining to top off a 7-0 run in the final 43 seconds.
The Pirates were clicking on all cylinders in the second half in a physical battle with their Big 12 Conference opponent. Gibbs scored 19 of his 26 points in the half and finished the game 17-for-20 from the free-throw line. He scored 10 points in the first eight minutes to power a 21-6 run that sent the Pirates out to a 61-50 lead with 12:46 remaining.
Oklahoma rallied behind freshman guard Jordan Woodard who scored all 12 of his points in the second half, including eight in the last eight minutes to keep the Sooners within striking distance. Seton Hall led by as many as eight points in the last four minutes, but an improbable four-point play by Sooners' guard Isaiah Cousins brought Oklahoma within three with 3:13 remaining.
The Pirates responded with a layup by senior guard Fuquan Edwin (Paterson, N.J.) and free-throws from Eugene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) to regain a seven point lead with less than two minutes to go. Cousins, a local product from Mount Vernon, N.Y., answered with a layup with 51 seconds on the clock to top off his career night of 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
After Gibbs converted his 17th free-throw of the ballgame, the Sooners turned up the pressure forcing two steals within 10 seconds. Sooners' senior guard Cameron Clark converted two layups off the turnovers, and then Woodard knocked down the first of two free-throws to make it an 85-84 ballgame with 21 seconds remaining. With bodies flying after Woodard's missed second free-throw, Clark came up with the loose ball. Seconds later Hield was going to the free-throw line where he would knock down a pair to give the Sooners their first lead since the 17:59 mark in the second half.
Seton Hall went the length of the court on the final possession, eventually getting the ball to senior guard Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.) in an unsettled situation. His three point heave at the buzzer was off the mark. Oliver had his best performance of the season posting 19 points hitting five three-pointers.
In his 50th straight start, Edwin finished with 12 points and made three steals sending him into a tie with Seton Hall Associate Head Coach Shaheen Holloway for third in program history with 231 career steals. Teague added 10 points and nine rebounds to the effort, while senior forward Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
Oklahoma received a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds from Clark. Hield, the Sooners' leading scorer, was limited to 13 points on 3-for-12 shooting.
Seton Hall returns to action Saturday and will take on Virginia Tech (3-2) in the consolation contest of the 2013 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on truTV and on 970 AM WNYM.
