Hall Hosts Saint Peter's in Sunday Matinee
12/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Buy Tickets l FOX Sports 1 l Game Notes l l Live Audio
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team returns home on Sunday for another intra-state matchup as Saint Peter's visits the Prudential Center for the latest installment in a longstanding rivalry.
The Hall (7-1) was one of the last 11 teams in the nation without a loss entering the week but saw its season-opening winning-streak halted with a 77-68 loss at #11 Wichita State. Reigning BIG EAST Rookie of the Week Isaiah Whitehead (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led all scorers with 23 points, topping the 20-point mark for the second-consecutive game.
The heralded freshman poured in a season-high 25 points to help SHU trounce Rutgers, 81-54, and earn Joe Calabrese MVP honors in the first-ever Garden State Hardwood Classic in Seton Hall's most recent home appearance.
Whitehead has emerged as the Pirates' top scoring force over the last five games, averaging a team-best 18.6 points per game during the stretch. Tabbed as the conference's top newcomer prior to the season, Whitehead also leads the squad with 3.5 assists per game; joining Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown) and 2013-14 All-Rookie Team selection Rysheed Jordan of St. John's as the only players to rank among the top-10 in the league in both scoring and assists.
Junior Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) is also posting over 18 points per contest over the last five and is coming off a performance in which he scored all 19 of his points during a second half in which the Pirates out-scored the Shockers by six. Gibbs was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the period, finishing with multiple treys for the fifth time this season.
Through eight games, the Seton Hall Prep product ranks 10th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (20-37, .541); a rate that is up nearly 20 percent from his final mark last season.
Continued offensive production from a stout backcourt could be key in the Pirates' efforts to start a pair of new streaks, both heading into the BIG EAST portion of the schedule and against the Peacocks.
Last December, Desi Washington and Marvin Dominique combined for 46 points in the second half and overtime as Saint Peter's upended The Hall, 83-80, to snap SHU's 17-game winning streak in the series.
SPU (4-6) enters the contest coming off two-straight victories and has put four of the last six into the win column after opening the campaign with four-consecutive defeats. Last time out, Washington delivered 18 points in a 60-46 triumph over Princeton; his first appearance since sustaining a hand injury in the opener vs. Brown.
Washington tallied nine points in the extra period to lift the Peacocks over The Hall last season after Brian Oliver pushed the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating triple that came off a feed from Haralds Karlis (Riga, Latvia).
Dominique finished with 25 points, eight boards and four blocks in the most recent meeting between the two programs and currently stands among the top-six in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with 15.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg.
A Saint Peter's defense that has yielded 60 points or less in seven-straight outings and ranks 25th in Division I, yielding only 57.4 points per game, could be a main storyline as the Pirates look to get back on track heading into a two-game road swing that will take SHU to USF and Georgia next week.
Creating high-percentage opportunities helped fuel a pair of routs in The Hall's two most recent home appearances as Seton Hall averaged 40 points in the paint and 23 on the break in a pair of wins over Mount Saint Mary's and the Scarlet Knights that were each decided by more than 20 points.
SHU was forced into a season-high 18 turnovers by Wichita State on Tuesday however and finished with only one fastbreak basket. Containing Washington and third-leading scorer Trevis Wyche who has recorded 8.0 ppg and nearly a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio in the Peacocks victories this season will be vital if head coach Kevin Willard's side hopes to impose its up-tempo style on the matchup.
Sunday will be the Pirates' final appearance at the Prudential Center during the non-conference season as the team will host Maine (Dec. 27) inside Historic Walsh Gymnasium in the lone remaining home game scheduled prior to the start of league play.
Seton Hall is 43-7 (.860) all-time against the Peacocks at home as part of a larger 61-24 advantage in a series that has seen the two teams meet in every season since 1949-50. With four home wins already to their credit in 2014-15, the Pirates are now an impressive 28-4 (.875) overall under Willard when hosting non-conference foes.
Tip-off for the matinee matchup is slated for Noon with a live broadcast available nationally on FOX Sports 1 and the FOX Sports Go app. The radio team of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will have the call for AM970 (WNYM) and the Pirate Sports Network on SHUPirates.com
At the game, the Pirates will be hosting their annual toy drive benefiting Team Walker, a non-profit organization founded by former Seton Hall basketball star Jerry Walker that assists the youth of Jersey City through academic and athletic after-school and summer programs. Fans wishing to participate are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to the game. For more information CLICK HERE
