Players Mentioned
Top-10 Moments of 2013-14: #1 - Garden Party
7/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 25, 2014
The 2013-14 year was a momentous one for Seton Hall Athletics as the Pirates made their mark in the first year of a revamped BIG EAST Conference.
From the hardwood to the field, the pitch to the pool or on the course, the was no shortage of memorable moments across all 14 varsity athletic programs as Seton Hall student-athletes continued to honor and further the university's proud athletic tradition.
Over the final two weeks of July, SHUPirates.com in conjunction with College Hunks Hauling Junk will reveal its countdown of the Top-10 moments from the year that was.
Topping off the list is the Seton Hall men's basketball team's thrilling victory over nationally-ranked Villanova in the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Sterling Gibbs hit the shot heard around the basketball world with a step-back jumper as time expired sending the Pirates into the semifinals with a one-point victory over the Wildcats.
#1 - Garden Party
The hallowed walls of Madison Square Garden were primed for yet another magical moment in BIG EAST Tournament history on March 13, 2014. The Pirates had just survived a grueling one-point victory over Butler in the opening round, and approximately 14-hours after the final horn sounded Seton Hall was back at the World's Most Famous Arena tipping off with the third-ranked team in the nation.
Villanova, the BIG EAST regular-season champion, entered the quarterfinal match up with an impressive resume. The Wildcats set school records for regular-season wins (28) and BIG EAST victories (16). Nova held a spot in the top-10 of the Associated Press poll for 10 straight weeks, they rode a six game win streak into the tournament and were winners of 12 of their previous 13 games. Unfazed by the accolades, the Pirates were prepared for the battle to keep their season alive.
The Hall set the tone early behind a remarkable first half performance from Patrik Auda who helped power a surge that sent the Pirates out front by double-digits less than 10 minutes into the contest. The lead ballooned to 15 at the seven minute mark before the stunned Wildcats regrouped and cut it to a 34-26 at the break. Auda scored all 13 of his points in the first half and converted 6-of-7 field goal attempts in the stanza.
Seton Hall carried its momentum into the second half with Eugene Teague taking on the bulk of the work load. Teague erupted for 11 of his game-high 19 points in a near perfect performance for the big man whose final stat line also featured 12 rebounds, 7-for-9 FG, 5-for-5 FT and one block. With Teague's dominance in the paint, the Pirates did not trail until the eight minute mark in the second half when Villanova guard Darrun Hilliard knocked down a triple, the first of eight lead changes in a thrilling finish.
Tension peaked in the final minute with nearly 20,000 fans on the edge of their seats. JayVaughn Pinkston knotted the game for the ninth time with a free-throw and Josh Hart converted a layup on the ensuing Nova possession to put the Wildcats up two. Jaren Sina answered with a clutch three-pointer from the corner, which was assisted by Seton Hall's soon-to-be hero Sterling Gibbs.
Villanova took a 63-62 lead on Hilliard's floater with 7.8 on the clock. The Hall pushed the ball to half court and called timeout, setting the stage for the final play.
Gibbs took the inbound pass from Sina, made two dribbles to the center of the court and the rest was history.
See you on day 3!!!! Gibbs beats the buzzer to shock nova, 64-63. That is #The1 on @FOXSportsLive
-- Seton Hall MBB (@SetonHallMBB) March 13, 2014 "It ended up being a little bit of a scramble. The plan kind of got switched up a little bit," Gibbs said as he recalled the play to a packed press room before Teague interrupted.
"A little bit?" said the senior center.
"Yeah, a lot of bit," Gibbs acknowledged. "In the end, it was supposed to get in my hands and I was supposed to create a shot for my teammates or create a shot for myself, and I just stepped back and hit the jumper."
"We never really got rattled," said head coach Kevin Willard said. "These guys have a lot of heart. They have a lot of character, and they deserve to win."
Wow @BobLeyESPN & I r doing flips as Pirates WIN over VU- fab class 2015 says experts @AdamZagoria & @PaulBiancardi http://t.co/OZzJMA2VpR
-- Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 13, 2014 Seton Hall Basketball with the huge upset tonight over Villanova. Congrats @SHUAthletics!!
-- Sacha Kljestan (@SachaKljestan) March 13, 2014 Teammates were somewhat pleased with Sterling Gibbs after his buzzer-beater. pic.twitter.com/NvF3Bf5nGr
-- NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 13, 2014 The victory was the first in program history over a team ranked in the top-three in the nation and sent shockwaves across the college basketball world. Seton Hall was the talk of the town, trending on twitter #1 in the New York area as well as #7 nationally. The Pirates took the front cover of major newspapers across the country and generated nearly 4,000 news clips in their three days at the BIG EAST Tournament.
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