Seton Hall University
Providence
Players Mentioned
Seton Hall Wins 2OT Thriller at Providence
12/31/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2013
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team battled through two overtimes with Providence (10-4, 0-1) leaving the Dunkin' Donuts Center with an 81-80 victory over the Friars to open BIG EAST Conference play. Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.) led the Pirates with 18 points, while Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) capped a 15 point effort with the decisive free-throws with 3.3 seconds remaining to secure the win.
Four Pirates in total scored in double-figures as Seton Hall (10-4, 1-0) enters the New Year on a three game win streak. Junior forward Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) recorded 16 points and shot 5-for-5 from the line contributing to Seton Hall's 19-for-23 mark at the charity stripe. Classmate Patrik Auda (Brno, Czech Republic) scored seven of his 11 points at the free-throw line.
Providence was led by senior guard Bryce Cotton's 25 points. Sophomore forward Tyler Harris added 22 points and led a 41-29 rebounding advantage over the Pirates with a game-high nine boards. Seton Hall was light on its frontline without the services of 6-foot-9 senior Eugene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) who missed the game with a concussion that he suffered in the second half of Friday's 90-58 victory over Lafayette.
In a game that featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes, the Pirates expanded their halftime advantage to 12 points in the second stanza. Oliver buried back-to-back 3-pointers within 23 seconds of each other, and then a pair of free-throws by Aaron Geramipoor (Manchester, England) followed by a jumper by Gibbs gave the Pirates a 51-39 lead with 12:45 to play. Oliver finished 4-for-7 from downtown in his ninth double-digit scoring performance in the last 10 games.
The Friars answered with seven straight free-throws as the Pirates went scoreless over the next five minutes cutting the deficit to single digits, which set the stage for a thrilling finish. Seton Hall maintained a two possession lead until Harris converted back-to-back layups with less than four minutes to play. LaDontae Henton evened the game with 34 seconds to go in regulation with a layup that locked the contest at 58-58 forcing overtime.
Mobley picked up the Pirates in the first overtime scoring four of the team's eight points. Seton Hall opened a four point edge with senior guard Fuquan Edwin's (Paterson, N.J.) jumper with 1:35 on the clock, 66-62. Cotton responded by scoring the final four points of the extra period to send the game to double-overtime. The 6-foot-1 guard, who scored 14 of his points in the two overtimes, knocked down a jumper at the 1:13 mark cutting the Pirates' lead to two. Then with five seconds to go Auda was called for a foul sending Cotton, the third leading scorer in the BIG EAST, to the line where he evened the game at 66.
Neither team led by more than three points in a hard fought double overtime. Auda scored the Pirates first five points at the line, but the Friars used field goals by Henton, Harris and Cotton along with a free-throw by Carson Desrosiers to take a 73-71 lead with two minutes to play.
Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) stepped up with a big three-pointer from the corner courtesy of Gibbs fourth assist to take a one point lead for The Hall with 1:56 on the clock. Cotton responded with a jumper to regain a 75-74 edge for the Friars. Mobley brought the lead back to Seton Hall's side with three free-throws after being fouled on an attempt from downtown, which put the Pirates ahead 77-75 with 1:09 to play.
The Friars scored the next five points with Cotton's three-point play and a pair of free-throws by Henton to go up by three with 21 seconds on the clock.
Gibbs went on the attack picking up a foul and then sinking two free-throws with nine seconds remaining. Seton Hall's feisty defense forced a clutch turnover by Henton on the ensuing inbounds play to give the Pirates their opportunity to take the lead for good. Gibbs drew another foul with less than four seconds to go, which resulted in the game winning free-throws.
The victory marks the third time in four years under Head Coach Kevin Willard that Seton Hall has won its BIG EAST opener. It also snaps the Friars' 13-game win streak at the Dunkin' Donuts Center which dates back to last season.
The Hall has won six of its last seven contests as it returns home for a pair of BIG EAST games versus Creighton (Jan. 4) and #11/#14 Villanova (Jan. 8).
Seton Hall's showdown with Creighton on Saturday at the Prudential Center will be televised on FOX Sports 1. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. The Pirates' radio broadcast with Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin can be heard on 570 AM (WMCA).
