MBB Begins Final Homestand with Providence
2/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2014
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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team returns to Prudential Center and will look to get back in the win column when a greatly-improved Providence squad visits The Rock on Friday night. With a win, the Pirates (14-14, 5-10) would complete the season sweep against the Friars (18-10, 8-7) for the fourth time in five years after opening the BIG EAST slate with an 81-80 double-overtime victory at Providence on New Year's Eve. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and CBS Sports Network will be home to a live national telecast. Dave Popkin and Vin Parise will have the call for 970 AM (WNYM).
After dropping two away games in three days by a combined six points, The Hall hopes to recapture the form it showed in an 82-67 dismantling of Georgetown when it last took the floor at home on Feb. 20. During the recent Midwest swing, the Pirates pushed first-place Creighton to the final buzzer in a 72-71 defeat before falling 65-60 to a hot-shooting DePaul squad Tuesday.
Senior Fuquan Edwin (Paterson, N.J.), who provided the impetus with a 21-point performance on 9-of-13 shooting in the victory over the Hoyas, continued his torrid run throughout the road trip replicating his 21-point total against the Bluejays and DePaul as well. Edwin was the game's leading scorer in the matchup with the Blue Demons and added four steals to push his school record total to 288 for his career, but he was slowed down the stretch after sustaining an injury to his thumb following a swipe attempt on the defensive end.
The only other Pirate to score in double-figures against DePaul was Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) as in his third-consecutive start; the freshman matched a career-high by nailing all four of his 3-point attempts and finished with 12 points.
Sina and Edwin started in the backcourt for Seton Hall during the first meeting with Providence, but it was a balanced effort that featured four players with 11 points or more for The Hall to help the Pirates emerge victorious from a seesaw affair that included 11 ties and 16 lead changes.
Playing without center Eugene Teague (Vineland, N.J.), the Pirates got a boost from fellow senior Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.) who chipped in a team-high 18 points, 14 of which came in the second half or overtime. Forward Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) added 16 points - his highest total in BIG EAST play to date - and Patrik Auda (Brno, Czech Republic) contributed 11 points in 37 minutes.
It was Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) who played the role of closer however, capping a 15-point showing with four clutch free-throws in the final nine seconds of the second extra period to help hold off the Friars.
Gibbs also drew the assignment of defending Providence senior Bryce Cotton, the conference's second-leading scorer at 21.5 points per game, and succeeded in turning one of the most dynamic players in the league into a one-dimensional threat. Cotton racked up 25 points while playing all 50 minutes, but was limited to just 1-of-8 from downtown. Sophomore forward Tyler Harris was 2-of-4 from long range en route to 22 points but as a team, the Friars shot under 30 percent (5-of-17, .294) from beyond the arc in the game.
Conversely, The Hall knocked down eight treys; making five in the second half alone to help force overtime.
Heading into the second matchup, Seton Hall will look to cut down on the +13 rebounding edge (41-to-28) the Friars posted in the first meeting while continuing to exploit their advantage in depth.
Even in the absence Teague, the Seton Hall bench outscored Providence's, 21-to-10. Gibbs' 15 points came after he entered the contest as a reserve and the added scoring threat proved to be the difference.
With the Pirates intent on halting a two-game slide and the Friars aiming to build off an 87-81 victory at Butler last time out and continue what they hope is a march towards the madness, Friday's contest between these two Original BIG EAST institutions promises to be a spirited one.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting www.halltix.com or calling the Seton Hall Athletic Ticket Office at (973) 275-HALL (4255). Out of market fans can tune in to the live audio broadcast via the Pirate Sports Network on SHUPirates.com.
