Seton Hall University
15-11,8-7Big East
Villanova
12-13,6-8Big East
Pirates' Strong Defensive Effort Not Enough At Villanova
2/11/2023 11:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Philadelphia, Pa. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team held its 10th opponent this season to under 60 points but the defensive effort wasn't enough as the Pirates couldn't come away with their fifth straight road win against a BIG EAST team in a 58-54 loss at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.
The Pirates (15-11, 8-7 BIG EAST) now share fifth place in the BIG EAST standings with UConn. Junior Kadary Richmond (Brooklyn, N.Y.) finished with 10 points, nine assists and five rebounds and senior Al-Amir Dawes (Newark, N.J.) chipped in with 13 points. Senior Tyrese Samuel (Montreal, Quebec) posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
How It Happened
After Villanova opened the game with a three-point basket, Dawes connected on a three of his own and Richmond scored four straight points on a steal-and-score dunk and a midrange jumper to give the Pirates a 7-3 lead with 12:42 in the first half. A baby hook in the lane by graduate student KC Ndefo (Elmont, N.Y.) maintained the Pirates' four-point lead but Villanova used an 11-0 run to take an 18-11 advantage. The Wildcats led by as much as 11 with under three minutes to play before halftime but an alley-oop slam by Samuel from Richmond and a buzzer-beating corner jumper by Dawes trimmed the Seton Hall deficit to seven, 27-20, at the break.
Following a Villanova basket that made it a 13-point game, 37-24, early in the second half, back-to-back threes by Richmond and Harris and consecutive buckets by Samuel sparked a 13-1 run that was capped off by a traditional three-point by Dawes that made it a one-point contest, 38-37. However, the Wildcats locked down on defense and pushed their lead back to double-digits, going up by 14, 53-39, with 3:15 left in regulation.
Seton Hall had one more run left in them though as Dawes made both ends of a one-and-one and junior Femi Odukale (Brooklyn, N.Y.) came up with a steal on one end and and nailed a three-pointer on the other. Next, the Pirates came up with a stop on the defense and Dawes creeped the Pirates closer with a three on the fastbreak, making it a six-point game, 53-47, at the 1:51 mark. A late three by graduate student Jamir Harris (North Brunswick, N.J.) made it a four-point game with seven seconds left but it was too little too late as Villanova came away with the win.
Inside The Numbers
- Seton Hall allowed Villanova to shoot 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from three (6-of-15).
- The Pirates shot 40 percent from the floor (21-of-53) and 35 percent from deep (7-of-20) while attempting only seven free throws.
- The Hall trailed by seven at the half and outscored Villanova 34-31 in the second stanza.
- Villanova scored 23 points off of 18 Seton Hall turnovers.
- The Pirates finished with 15 assists and the Wildcats had seven dimes.
- The Pirates saw only eight points come from their bench while Villanova finished with zero.
- Seton Hall had 17 second chance points to Villanova's four.
- The Pirates came up with nine steals with four each coming from Richmond and Odukale.
News & Notes
- Seton Hall has lost its last six games against Villanova all by eight points or less.
- The Pirates fall to 13-2 this season when they hold their opponent to 70 points or less.
- The Pirates see their four game road win streak in the BIG EAST snapped.
- The Hall falls to 15-11 overall and 8-7 in the BIG EAST, putting them in a tie for fifth with UConn in the BIG EAST standings.
- Samuel has registered three double-doubles this season and five in his career.
- Harris' three-point basket in the first half put him over 1,000 career points, giving the Pirates three players on their roster with at least 1,000 career points joining Dawes and graduate student KC Ndefo (Elmont, N.Y.).
- Tonight marked Richmond's fourth career game with at least 10 points, nine assists and five rebounds.
Up Next
Seton Hall returns home to Prudential Center on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. showdown against Georgetown. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network and fans can listen to Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin call the action on the Seton Hall Basketball Radio Network that can be heard on the SHU Pirates mobile app, the Varsity network and SiriusXM.
- This is our Seton Hall vs. Cancer Night. Our student-athletes will wear Seton Hall vs. Cancer shooting shirts that were auctioned off with proceeds supporting the American Cancer Society. And we will hold a "Stand Up to Cancer" moment during a media timeout. Fans can pick up a Stand Up to Cancer card on their way into the game on the concourse.
- This game qualifies for our Family Four Pack offer! Get four tickets and a $25 concession stand voucher for $125! Purchase now online or call our ticket office (973) 275-4255 during business hours.
- This is the last of our four designated Junior Pirates Club games, and the Kids Zone will be open on the concourse.
