Down to the Wire
6/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Pirate Blue
June 16, 2014
In advance of the 2014 Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony which will honor the 1988-89 national runner-up men's basketball team, SHUPirates.com will take you through the moments that comprised the Pirates' magical run to the Kingdome and the Final Four - one that ignited passions, defied the odds and left an indelible mark on the program and the university alike.
On Friday, we recounted the rousing victory over Duke that catapulted the Pirates into the national championship game; a stunning 95-78 win at The Kingdome in Seattle that featured a 36-point turnaround. Today we look at the ensuing title clash with Michigan, a matchup that produced a spectacle which remains one of the most compelling finals in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
During the 1988-89 campaign; there were 293 men's basketball programs competing at the NCAA Division I level.
Prior to the season, the Seton Hall Pirates had been picked to finish seventh out of the nine such teams that operated within the BIG EAST Conference.
On April 3, 1989, after 31 victories in 37 contests, The Hall was one of two squads that lined up with a chance to bring home a national title.
The opponent: a Michigan Wolverines team that underwent a coaching change prior to the Big Dance despite a 24-win regular season. Then-interim head coach Steve Fischer was not saddled with a group devoid of star power however as his starting lineup for the championship game featured five players that went on to play in the NBA, three of which - Terry Mills, Loy Vaught and Glen Rice - logged over a decade in the league.
En route to the Final Four, the Wolverines' multi-faceted offense topped the 90-point mark in all four games, earning them another crack at conference rival Illinois in the semifinals. Against the Fighting Illini, Rice had outdueled Kenny Battle, scoring 28 points as Michigan advanced behind a narrow 83-81 win. Four of the Wolverine starters finished in double-figures, including Vaught who registered 10 points and 16 boards and junior point guard Rumeal Robinson who played all 40 minutes, delivering 14 points and 12 assists.
A stiff challenge yes, but this Seton Hall squad had not been daunted by big names in opposing jerseys all year though, proving that their group was as formidable as any time and time again. Fresh off ascendant performances against iconic programs in Indiana, UNLV and Duke, that spring night in Seattle would prove no different.
When the appointed hour arrived the buzz extended from the 39,187 fans who packed The Kingdome to capacity all the way to South Orange where local establishments such as Bunny's, Cryan's and Ryan's Restaurant were overflowing with Seton Hall supporters, many of whom gladly stuck around to watch the Pirates through shop windows.
Finally, it was time to just play basketball. Neither team managed to assert itself in the first half as Michigan took a slim 37-32 advantage into the locker room. Out of the break, the Wolverines connected on five of their first six shot attempts and scored 14 of the first 21 points in the period to open up a 51-39 advantage with 14:17 on the clock.
Enter John Morton.
One of The Hall's senior leaders who had chipped in 10 points to help keep the Pirates afloat in the first half, Morton turned in a shooting stretch to be remembered, helping Seton Hall climb back into contention along with their rediscovered defensive prowess.
Michigan misfired on 12 of its next 15 attempts and Morton shouldered much of the offensive load as the Pirates climbed steadily closer. After two made free throws, Morton had pulled The Hall to within one possession at 61-59 but Rice answered with a trademark 3-pointer that gave the Wolverines a bit more breathing room with just over six minutes left in the period.
Seton Hall had an answer in the form of Morton though as the senior scored six points during a 9-2 run that followed Rice's apparent dagger from long range. Daryll Walker, who was brilliant up front in a 13-point, 11-rebound effort, connected on two free throws that put head coach P.J. Carlesimo's bunch ahead 68-66 with 72 seconds remaining in regulation.
On the other end however, knocking down another triple and after teammate Sean Higgins added two from the charity stripe, the scoreboard read Michigan 71, Seton Hall 68 in the final minute. With his team in need of another bucket, Morton answered the call by connecting on a trey of his own to tie the score at 71-71.
Michigan held for the final shot but relentless defense from Andrew Gaze prevented Rice from getting a good look and after Walker snatched up the rebound from the errant attempt, the two teams were headed to overtime.
In the extra period, the action was frantic and the score-line tight but it was Morton was able to find the mark from down town yet again to move Seton Hall in front 79-76 with 2:41 to play. Following a procession of empty trips on both ends, Michigan's Mills sunk a short jumper, the only other field goal of the final three minutes, to cut the deficit to 79-78 at the 1:17 mark.
Still down by one with 10 seconds remaining, Michigan came up with another stop and the ball ended up with Robinson who pushed the break, but was met by Seton Hall point guard Gerald Greene (13 points, five assists). Greene was whistled for a 50-50 foul with just three seconds left, one that neither he or Carlesimo challenged publically after the game, sending Robinson to the line for a one-and-one.
Robinson, a 65 percent free-throw-shooter, managed to get both to go, ultimately providing the difference in an 80-79 Michigan victory.
A four-year stalwart who scored over 1,600 points in his career, Morton's final 35 points came in that championship game, a mark that led all scorers for the night and still ranks as the top performance in Seton Hall's history at the NCAA Tournament.
The Pirates were pensive in the immediate aftermath, quick to credit Michigan while attempting to take stock of all they had accomplished along their improbable ride.
One point had separated them from a national title but they had long made their own. Doubters and detractors aside, they had sent a message that there are far more important things than the names on the back of jerseys and that the one on the front of theirs would be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
On Tuesday, our Hall of Fame series concludes with a look at the Pirates' triumphant return to South Orange where they received a fitting welcome for New Jersey's new hardwood heroes. It was on such days that it began to become clear just how impactful their trail-blazing run through March had been and would be.
A limited number of seats remain available for the 2014 Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony to be held on Wednesday, June 18 inside Historic Walsh Gymnasium. For more information on attending and sponsorship opportunities, please click here.
