Seton Hall University
22-8
[6] Creighton
18-13
Team Stats
Game Leaders
HALL WIN! Carrington, Whitehead Lift Pirates into BIG EAST Semis
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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SETON HALL MEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON RUN PRESENTED BY BARNABAS HEALTH
*PIRATE BLUE RECEPTION AT HUDSON STATION FRIDAY 4:30-6:30*
NEW YORK - The backcourt tandem of Brooklyn natives Khadeen Carrington and Isaiah Whitehead combined for 51 points including 31 of 42 in the second half for Seton Hall as the third-seeded Pirates downed No. 6 Creighton, 81-73, in the quarterfinals of the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament presented by the Jeep brand Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
With the win, The Hall (23-8) earns a trip to the semifinal round for the ninth time in school history and the second in the last three years. SHU will meet No. 2 Xavier in the second of two semifinal games scheduled at The Garden for Friday evening (9:00 p.m., FS1).
Against the Bluejays, Carrington knocked down 10 of his 17 field goal attempts en route to a career-high 27 points and three steals while Whitehead registered a double-double with 24 points and a game-high 12 rebounds while also adding six assists.
Bronx product Desi Rodriguez finished with nine points and six boards while Angel Delgado (Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic) and Ismael Sanogo (Newark, N.J.) each hauled in eight boards.
Senior Derrick Gordon (Plainfield, N.J.) scored seven of the 14 total bench points in the contest.
Cole Huff led all scorers with 35 points for Creighton (18-13).
Turning Point
The Pirates took a nine-point lead into the break after leading for the final 13:46 of the opening period but the second half turned into a back-and-forth affair that went down to the wire.
Center Geoffrey Groselle hit a turnaround shot in the lane that capped a stretch of five unanswered for Creighton as the Bluejays pulled level at 73-73 with 1:10 to play; tying the score for the sixth and final time.
Carrington came right back down the floor and hit a tough lefty shot in traffic to ignite what developed into a win-sealing 8-0 up through the final buzzer for the Pirates.
Carrington followed that contested bucket with a steal off an inbounds play on the ensuing possession and though Gordon misfired on two free throws, Whitehead skied for an acrobatic offensive rebound and earned his own trip to the line where he sank two to stretch the lead to four.
On the next trip down, Whitehead, who led all Division I guards in blocks during the regular season, delivered a highlight block and closed the defensive possession with another acrobatic rebound before adding his final two free throws of the night.
Head Coach Kevin Willard on the play of Khadeen Carrington:
"He's done this all year. He was the 12th-leading scorer in conference play this year. Nothing surprises me. This is what he's done all year long. This is who he's been. We've just been working with him to be a little bit more aggressive without being too fancy...I thought he was great tonight. I thought he was aggressive. I thought he was efficient and he made some big shots for us."
On coming away with a win in a close game:
"I think every win this time of year is really important. To do it when you're up nine and after they came out and really brought it to us, fighting back was important...Our fans are great, they really came out. The atmosphere was tremendous and I think that helped us."
Inside the Numbers
- Whitehead's 12 rebounds were the most by a Pirate in a BIG EAST Tournament game since Eugene Teague pulled down 12 in a quarterfinal victory over Villanova in 2014 and tied for the fourth-highest single game total at the tournament in program history (59 games)
- Seton Hall's 45 rebounds as a team represent the third-highest total at the BIG EAST Tournament in school history. The Pirates finished with a +20 advantage on the boards, the team's second-highest advantage of the season behind a +21 edge (53-32) in an 84-55 win at Rutgers on Dec. 5
- With their respective efforts, Whitehead and Carrington scored 20+ points in the same game for the second time this season and the first since helping SHU to a 69-62 win over Georgia on November 28. The 51 combined points is the highest the Brooklyn duo has posted in their collegiate careers. Over the last two games, Whitehead (57) and Carrington (44) have totaled 101 points between them after going for 33 and 17 respectively in a win at DePaul (80-66) to close the regular season on March 5
- Carrington's career-highs of 10 FGM and 5 3FGM surpassed his previous individual bests of 8 FGM and four 3-pointers.
- The double-double marks the second of Whitehead's season and career and is the first he has recorded of the points/rebounds variety. The point guard had not previously recorded double-digit boards in 52 career appearances entering the night; eclipsing his previous career-high of eight.
- In all, five Pirates in Whitehead, Carrington, Delgado, Rodriguez and Michael Nzei (Makurdi, Nigeria) have notched at least one double-double this season
- Whitehead's 12 FTM also surpassed his previous highs of 11 free throws attempted and nine free throws made
- The Pirates went 9-of-12 from the free throw line over the final five minutes of the contest with Whitehead (7-8) and Carrington (2-2) accounting for all nine makes. The backcourt tandem combined for 13 points over the span, just three less than Creighton as a team.
- Seton Hall shot 50.9 percent from the floor (28-55) and 47.1 percent from deep (8-of-17). SHU has now shot 50 percent or better from the field in two-straight contests and three of the last four. For the season, The Hall has knocked down at least half of its field goals six times, four of which have come against BIG EAST opponents
News & Notes
- Seton Hall has now won 10 of its last 12 games overall
- Whitehead, who was named a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team performer on Sunday, has now scored 20+ points in five-straight outings and a total of 14 times this season. The former McDonald's All-American has posted 20+ points and 5+ assists nine times in 31 appearances this year
- The Pirates will make their ninth appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals and their second in the last three years after upending top-seeded Villanova, 64-63, in the 2014 quarterfinals. SHU is 2-6 all-time in the semifinal round but only one of those losses came as a top-three overall seed in the field.
- Thursday marked the first-ever BIG EAST Tournament meeting between Seton Hall and Creighton and the Pirates now hold a 4-3 advantage over the Bluejays since CU joined the conference prior to the 2013-14 campaign. SHU leads the all-time series, 10-4
- Thursday's game was also the first for Seton Hall as the No. 3 overall seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Pirates are 6-2 all-time when playing as a top-three seed at the conference tournament.
- With the win, The Hall is now 19-0 this season when leading at halftime and 87-14 when ahead at the break in six years under Kevin Willard. SHU is also now 23-0 this year when building a lead as large as seven at any point in the game.
- Thursday's victory was the sixth postseason win for SHU in the Willard era and fifth at the BIG EAST Tournament. Willard is the first Seton Hall coach to guide the team to two BIG EAST Tournament semifinal appearances since PJ Carlesimo
- The Hall is looking to advance to its third BIG EAST Tournament final and first since 1993. Seton Hall came out on top in its two previous trips to the championship game, defeating Georgetown, 74-62, in 1991 and posting a 103-70 victory over Syracuse in 1993. The Pirates' 33-point blowout of the Orangemen still stands as the largest margin of victory in title game history.
Up Next
The Hall will return to Madison Square Garden on Friday to square off with second-seeded Xavier who got past No. 8 Marquette, 90-72, in quarterfinal action. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. on FS1.
The Seton Hall radio team of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will have the call for AM970 The Answer with a simulcast available online on www.PirateSportsNet.tv as well as through the Seton Hall Gameday.
SHU and the Musketeers split the season series with each team winning on its home floor. Most recently, Seton Hall scored a 90-81 victory over a Xavier team that was ranked fifth in the nation at Prudential Center (Feb. 28).
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