Seton Hall University
Maryland
ROAD KILL! Pirates Defeat Maryland to Improve to 9-3
12/22/2018 9:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Powell, who is averaging 23.1 points per game this season, finished with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 mark at the free throw line. He also added seven boards, two assists and two steals. Cale scored a career-high 23 points, shot 6-of-10 from the field and was also 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Junior Romaro Gill (St. Thomas, Jamaica) earned his first career start and was a crucial factor all night. He totaled six points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and the Pirates were plus 14 during his 24 minutes on the court.
Seton Hall is now 9-3 on the season with victories over KenPom top-50 teams Miami, Kentucky and Maryland, and will take a five-game winning streak into its BIG EAST opener next Saturday vs. St. John's at Prudential Center.
Merry Christmas Pirate Nation!!!! 🔵⚪️ #HALLin
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) December 23, 2018
Presented by @LifeStorage pic.twitter.com/HPuuY2CWtP
Turning Point
Seton Hall got off to a hot start and took a 16-5 lead on a layup by Cale with 14:30 left in the opening half. However, Maryland closed the frame on a 29-14 run to take a 34-30 lead at the break.
A pair of Cale free throws at the 16:54 mark capped a 9-2 run by the Pirates to open the second half and re-take the lead at 39-37. From there, the two teams traded blows down the stretch, but it was Cale who made the difference. With 3:15 to go and the game tied, Cale made a tough jumper from 15 feet to put the Pirates back on top. Then great defense led to Cale picking off a pass, and he went strong to the hoop against two defenders for a layup and a four-point lead, 68-64, with 2:44 to go.
Powell canned a pair of free throws with 1:56 remaining to give Seton Hall a 70-64 advantage. However, with 34 seconds remaining, Maryland's Anthony Cowan drilled a triple to cut the Pirates' lead to 72-71. Then, with ice in their veins, Cale and Powell combined to go 6-of-6 at the free throw line over the last 30 seconds to seal the victory for Seton Hall.
🚨 HIGHLIGHTS ALERT 🚨
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) December 23, 2018
We're 9-3 at the end of non-conference play & here's how we got there after a HUGE road kill over the Terps. #HALLin pic.twitter.com/srxFyFRRjT
Inside the Numbers
- Seton Hall shot 45.6 percent for the game (26-for-57), 38.1 percent from three (8-for-21) and a season-best 85.7 percent from the free throw line (18-for-21).
- Maryland was 46.6 percent overall from the field (27-for-58), 32 percent from three (8-for-25) and 60 percent at the line (12-for-20).
- Seton Hall was again out-rebounded as the Terrapins had a 36-31 advantage, but this time the Pirates had more paint points, 34-32, and only allowed Maryland to score 12 second chance points.
- The Pirates, one of the nation's best in not turning the ball over, committed only eight giveaways in the game, and only two in the second half. Meanwhile, defensively, the Pirates forced 10 Maryland turnovers and converted them into 16 points.
- The 48 points Seton Hall scored in the second half are a season high for second-half scoring.
- Powell had another big night as he finished with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting overall, 3-for-8 from three and 8-for-8 at the free throw line. It was his seventh 20-point game of the season and 15th of his career.
- Cale dropped a career-high 23 points on 6-of-10 overall, 3-for-4 from three and 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. Eighteen of his 23 points came in the second half as he helped ignite Seton Hall's comeback.
- McKnight continued his outstanding defensive play while also chipping in nine points, four assists, four rebounds and a block.
- Gill made his first career start and gave The Hall six points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
News & Notes
- Seton Hall now has three KenPom top-50 wins so far this season (Miami, Kentucky, Maryland).
- The Pirates are now 3-2 all-time against Maryland. This had been the first meeting between the two schools since 1975.
- Head coach Kevin Willard is now 7-3 against the Big Ten during his tenure at Seton Hall. This includes a 3-2 record in road games.
- Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Pirates now have 14 wins in true road games when the announced attendance is 8,500 or higher.
- The Pirates are now 72-8 in their last 80 games when leading by seven points or more at any juncture of the contest.
- Powell connected on his 200th career three-pointer in the first half and now has 202.
- The Pirates remain undefeated this season when connecting on at least five three-pointers.
Up Next
The Pirates open BIG EAST Conference play with an 8:30 p.m. showdown against St. John's at Prudential Center on Saturday, Dec. 29. The game will be nationally televised on FS1, and streamed live on the FOX Sports GO app. The dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will have the radio call on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on XM383 and the Pirate Sports Network.
