3 Things About Sunday's Matinee at Creighton

Sunday, February 17

Omaha, Neb.

3 p.m.

Seton Hall University

Creighton

2/16/2019 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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2018-19 BIG EAST Conference Game Seton Hall Pirates (15-9, 6-6 BIG EAST) at Creighton Bluejays (13-12, 4-8 BIG EAST)
Date/Time/Location	Sunday, Feb. 17 \| 3 p.m., Eastern \| CHI Health Center Omaha (Omaha, Neb.)
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM 970 \| Sirius 84 \| XM 84 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Creighton
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram

It's getting that down to that crunch time, Pirates fans. Your hoops team is 6-6 in the BIG EAST, 15-9 overall, and fighting for a fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid. It's now late February, wins are harder to come by and every game is being scrutinized heavily.

But if this Seton Hall team is like the NCAA Pirates of the last three years, then the final third of the league season is when it thrives the most. The final six Seton Hall games the last three years:

2017-18: 4-2
2016-17: 5-1
2015-16: 5-1

Going into the BIG EAST Tournament on a hot streak is the way to go, and although these final six games include three of the toughest road games possible, the Pirates are playing inspiring basketball of late that leads you to believe that they will go into these last six games fighting for the spot that we all know they deserve.

"I enjoyed it because it wasn't solo work. Everyone was working in teams...It was constant interaction and a constant learning process."@jahsRock talks work & basketball with https://t.co/VeOZTGfTWD: https://t.co/DYVbJVuVpm #HALLin
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) February 16, 2019

A tough Creighton team on the road in a hostile environment awaits. Let's see how Seton Hall starts off this final third stretch.

We've been working on our resume since Day One. Hope the search committee likes what we could bring to the organization. We're a team player. #HALLin pic.twitter.com/rwmuuGDxP4
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) February 14, 2019

Sunday's matinee will be nationally televised on FS1, simulcast on the FOX Sports App, with Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe as your hosts. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will have the radio broadcast that includes the exclusive Kevin Willard pregame report on AM 970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 84, XM 84 and the Pirate Sports Network.

Three Things to Know About Sunday's Matinee at Creighton

1. Seton Hall Needs to Start Fast
Seton Hall had its most convincing win of the BIG EAST season last Wednesday vs. Georgetown, and a big part of that was racing out to a 23-9 lead against the Hoyas. They punched hard, and although Georgetown made its runs, it never really recovered. On the road, it's not entirely likely that they'll get out to that good a start again, but not falling behind at CHI Health Center Omaha will be crucial to ensuring the Pirates come out on top after 40 minutes.

2. Remember What Happened Last Time
Although Martin Krampelj had a field day against the Pirates, he ended up being the only man to beat The Hall. He was 9-for-19 from the field (.474) and the rest of the team was 11-for-47 (.234)! The Pirates played outstanding defense on Creighton's guards, and they will need to do so again against a Bluejays squad that averages 11 made three-pointers per game.

3. Sharing is Always Caring
It's very simple: Seton Hall's offense thrives when it shares the ball and gets multiple involved. The Pirates scored 90 points on Wednesday with 20 assists on 30 made field goals and four different Pirates scoring in double figures. Yes, Myles Powell once again led the way with 30 points, but he didn't get as much attention because Sandro Mamukelashvili, Myles Cale and Michael Nzei were also making shots. The numbers don't lie: in Seton Hall's 15 wins, it averages 15.3 assists; in its nine losses, it averages 10.8 assists.