Seton Hall University
No. 6 Villanova
Pirates Fall at #6/#6 Villanova
2/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2014
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team suffered a 70-53 setback at #6/#6 Villanova (21-2, 9-1) on Friday at The Pavilion. Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) led the Pirates with 16 points and three assists, while teammate Eugene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) added 10 points and six rebounds to the effort. Four Wildcats scored in double-figures, including a game-high 20 points from senior guard James Bell.
The Hall grabbed a lead early using a 10-2 spurt to take an advantage it clung to for 14 minutes in the first half. Fuquan Edwin (Paterson, N.J.) rattled off eight points during the run and capped it off with his second 3-pointer to send Seton Hall (13-10, 4-6) out to a 10-4 lead at the 14:47 mark.
Later in the period, Teague sank his first two buckets of the game and then Gibbs knocked down one of his two 3-pointers as The Hall owned a 23-19 lead with 5:31 before intermission. Villanova answered by rallying into the break on a 13-1 run as sophomore forward Daniel Ochefu scored six of his 10 points during the surge. It sent the Wildcats into halftime with a 34-26 advantage.
Ochefu finished with a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds), converting 5-of-6 field goal attempts and dishing out six assists. Bell had 12 of his 20 points in the first 20 minutes.
Gibbs attacked the rim on the first possession of the second half converting a layup to make it a six point game, but the Pirates couldn't find their offensive rhythm after that. Villanova responded with eight straight points courtesy of a couple buckets by JayVaughn Pinkston to gain a double-digit advantage that it held on to the rest of the way.
Pinkston finished with 19 points on a 9-for-11 shooting night. Darrun Hilliard was the fourth Wildcat to record double-digits posting 10 points. Ryan Arcidiacono matched Ochefu with a game-high six assists.
The Hall limited one of the most potent 3-point shooting teams in the BIG EAST to only five triples and 23.8% shooting effort from downtown, but Villanova capitalized by scoring 16 points off 15 SHU turnovers and finished shooting 50.9% (28-55). The Pirates were also upended on the glass 34-25.
Seton Hall looks to bounce back Tuesday when it begins a three-game home stretch with Marquette. Tip off at the Prudential Center is set for 7 p.m. FOX Sports 1 has the national television broadcast. The Hall's radio broadcast with Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will air on 970 AM (WNYM).
