Seton Hall University
Providence
MBB Upended by Providence
2/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2014
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NEWARK, N.J. - Four players scored in double-figures for the Seton Hall men's basketball team Friday, but the Pirates came up just short of defeating Providence for a second time this season. The Hall fell 74-69 to the Friars at the Prudential Center.
Playing without standout Fuquan Edwin (Paterson, N.J.) who missed the game with an injury to his thumb, The Hall (14-15, 5-11) was forced to trot out its 18th different starting lineup of 2013-14. The Pirates still controlled most of the first half, but could not regain the lead in the second stanza after Providence (19-10, 9-7) took a slim advantage into the intermission. 10 of Seton Hall's losses have now come by five points or less, including each of the last four defeats.
Senior Eugene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) thrived down low for Seton Hall in the game; sinking seven of his 12 shots to total 17 points while coming down with a game-high 12 rebounds. It was his conference-leading eighth double-double of the year. Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) was similarly efficient in a 20-point effort, knocking down 6-of-9 field goals to reach the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season.
Freshman Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) added 11 points and two assists in his fourth consecutive start, while forward Patrik Auda (Brno, Czech Republic) chipped in 10 points and five boards in 25 minutes.
After taking their first lead with less than 30 seconds to go before halftime, Providence scored nine of the first 14 points in the second half. The Friars moved ahead 37-31 on a Tyler Harris slam that prompted a Seton Hall timeout with 17:16 remaining. Seton Hall kept pace with Providence over the next six minutes, tallying six unanswered points and pulling within two at 45-43 at the 11:47 mark on a triple by Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.). However, The Hall went the next six-plus minutes without a field goal though, allowing the Friars to build a decisive advantage.
A 3-pointer from Josh Fortune gave Providence its largest lead of the night at 64-52 with 3:08 to play. With the Pirates forced to foul down the stretch, the nation's top free-throw shooting team sealed the victory from the line.
The one-sided second half came after a first period in which teams were separated by no more than four points. Teague knocked down a hook shot in the lane just over 30 seconds into the action, but neither team connected from the field for the more than five minutes. The drought that came to an end when Sina found Aaron Geramipoor (Manchester, England) for a lay-in that put the Pirates ahead, 4-2, at the 14:04 mark.
The teams traded blows over the next four minutes and with The Hall ahead, 12-11, Haralds Karlis (Riga, Latvia) fed Oliver for a trey that gave Seton Hall its largest lead of the half with 10:25 to go before the break. Providence came back to tie the score five separate times before Bryce Cotton came up with a steal and finished at the rim to give the Friars their first lead of the game, one they would take into the locker room.
Gibbs and Teague shot a combined 8-for-11 over the first 20 minutes, accounting for all but three of the Pirates' field goals in the period. Though Seton Hall converted on only 11-of-30 (.367) attempts in the half, the Pirates found success through ball movement, totaling eight assists heading into halftime.
Bryce Cotton registered a game-high 24 points including 11-of-12 shooting from the line for the Friars. Kadeem Batts provided the interior presence, recording 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Providence starters shouldered the bulk of the load as head coach Ed Cooley only utilized two reserves who logged a collective 10 minutes. Nine of those minutes went to Desrosiers, who recorded the four bench points for the Friars in the contest.
The Hall will be back in action on Monday, returning to the Prudential Center to host Xavier for the first time in nearly 60 years. Seton Hall will look to complete the season sweep after downing the Musketeers, 68-60, on the road on Feb. 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. as FOX Sports 1 will be your destination for a live telecast. An audio broadcast will be available on 970 AM (WNYM) and the Pirate Sports Network on SHUPirates.com.
