Seton Hall picked an ideal time to play their best conference game of the season. The Pirates are now tied for third place in the Big East with St. John’s.
Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard — (Image: Kelly Ross-USA TODAY Sports)
If Seton Hall makes a run to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament, it’ll be because Myles Powell has backup. That hasn’t always been the case this season for the Pirates and the results are in the loss column.
Powell has shown he can put the Pirates on his shoulders and carry them to the finish line. But when he’s on his game, and has help, that’s when this team becomes a matchup nightmare for opponents. Georgetown found this out the hard way when Seton Hall took it to them and secured an impressive 90-75 victory, Wednesday night in Newark, NJ.
Powell finished with a game-high 30 points, including a 10-for-10 showing at the free throw line. It was Powell’s fifth game this season with 30 points or more, he’s averaging 22.0 points per game. But he wasn’t the only one giving the Hoyas fits.
Seton Hall (15-9 overall, 6-6 Big East) finished the night with four of their five starters scoring in double figures. Michael Nzei contributed 18 points and nine rebounds. Guard Myles Cale also added 17 points. For the third straight game the Pirates kept their turnovers under 15, this time they finished with 11. It was an all-around effort for head coach Kevin Willard’s team.
The win puts Seton Hall back on the right side of the conversation for another NCAA tournament bid. They’ve now won two in a row and can put themselves on stronger footing with a strong finish before the Big East Tournament. The Pirates will go on the road to face Creighton, this Sunday.
Georgetown is young and exciting, but the emphasis is on young. Head coach Patrick Ewing didn’t look pleased with how his players performed. The Hoyas will need to impress with a strong finish to the regular season and a deep run in the conference tournament or they’ll likely be ticketed for the NIT. They’ll have a week off before hosting 13th ranked Villanova.
