Pirates Cruise to Victory Behind Powell's 30

Tuesday, November 6

South Orange, N.J.

6:30 p.m.

Seton Hall University

1-0

Wagner

0-1

Wagner

HALL

11/6/2018 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score BOX (PDF)HIGHLIGHTS

South Orange, N.J. - Junior Myles Powell (Trenton, N.J.) tied a career high with 30 points, and the Seton Hall men's basketball team held Wagner to 24.1 percent shooting in the second half while also out-rebounding the Seahawks, 41-29, for the game as the Pirates took care of business on college basketball opening night with an 89-49 win Tuesday at historic Walsh Gymnasium.

Seton Hall (1-0) has now won eight straight season opening games and has now won 14 consecutive home openers.

After Powell's 30-points, the Pirates showed outstanding balance with 10 other Pirates tallying points. Senior Michael Nzei (Makurdi, Nigeria) had 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore Myles Cale (Middletown, Del.) posted eight points. Sophomores Sandro Mamukelashvili (Tbilisi, Georgia), Taurean Thompson (New York, N.Y.) and Shavar Reynolds (Manchester, N.J.) all scored seven. Freshman Anthony Nelson (New York, N.Y.) had fice assists and just one turnover in 23:45 off the bench.

Seton Hall's defense was stifling in the second half as the Seahawks had only seven field goals made in the final 20 minutes. The Pirates also forced 16 turnovers, 10 coming in the second half.

Wagner (0-1) was led by AJ Sumbry, who had 12 points.

Turning Point
An early 14-2 run set the tone for the Pirates, who never trailed. Powell brought the fans to their feet with a pick-six steal off a bad pass and a ferocious dunk on the other end to make it 16-6 in favor of The Hall.

Seton Hall led by 16 points at halftime, but it was the second half that proved to be the difference, opening with a 12-2 run that included a pair of steals, punctuated by a Thompson three and a Mamukelashvili layup from Cale. Wagner opened the second half just 3-for-13 from the field.

The Pirates then pressed on, leading by 30 or more for the final nine minutes of the contest.

Inside the Box Score

Seton Hall shot 51.7 percent for the game and went 10-for-24 (41.7 percent) from three. The team's free throws were strong, making 19 of 25 attempts. Wagner shot 32.1 percent for the game, making only 18 field goals on the night and going only 6-for-26 from three (23.1 percent).
The Pirates out-rebounded the Seahawks, 41-27, and had 12 second chance points on 11 offensive rebounds.
Seton Hall was very efficient on offense, generating 20 assists on 30 field goals made. The Hall also only committed eight turnovers.
The Hall played outstanding defense in the second half, limiting the Seahawks to 22 points and only 24.1 percent shooting (7-for-29). The Pirates forced 16 turnovers on the night, 10 in the second half. The Pirates also blocked eight shots on the evening.
Powell was 10-for-13 from the field, 5-for-7 from downtown and 5-for-5 from the free throw line to account for his 30-point night, which matches his career high. He also scored 30 points at Xavier on Feb. 14, 2018. He also chipped in three assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Nzei had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Nelson led the Pirates with five assists in his first collegiate game.
Ten Pirates scored, including all three freshmen - Nelson, Jared Rhoden (New York, N.Y.) and Darnell Brodie (Newark, N.J.) - who were playing in their first collegiate game.

Hear the thoughts of our guys after tonight's win over Wagner! #HALLin pic.twitter.com/inFLKIJmOy
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) November 7, 2018

We've got highlights from our 89-49 victory over Wagner.#HALLin pic.twitter.com/3EVV0k7RbI
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) November 7, 2018

News & Notes

Seton Hall has now won eight consecutive season openers, 13 of the last 14, and is now 92-14-1 all-time in the first game of the season. The Pirates also now have won 14 straight home openers and are 99-8 all-time in the first home game of the year.
The Pirates now lead the all-time series against Wagner, 24-6, and have won 10 in a row. Wagner's last win over The Hall came in 1979.
This was Seton Hall's 29th consecutive non-conference home win, which dates back to December 2013.
The 40-point margin of victory was the largest since a 93-53 win over NJIT on Nov. 30, 2009.
Powell jumped six spots in the Seton Hall all-time scoring list tonight, moving from 879 points to 909. He passed Isaiah Whitehead (883), Bryan Caver (890), Brandon Moble (890), Sterling Gibbs (894), Tom Flaherty (895) and Al Senavitis (904) to move into 50th place.
This was the first time Seton Hall allowed fewer than 50 points since also holding USF to 49 points on Dec. 22, 2015.

Up Next
Seton Hall will play an exhibition game against Div. II New Haven Friday inside historic Walsh Gymnasium at 3 p.m. The game serves as Seton Hall Faculty & Staff appreciation day, and there will be giveaways for faculty and staff who have a valid Seton Hall ID. Tickets to the New Haven game are still available to the general public.

PIRATES WIN! MP dominates & we successfully took care of business at home. On to the next one.

This win is presented by @LifeStorage!#HALLin pic.twitter.com/cXhZCi01yc
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) November 7, 2018