PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
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By Tyler Calvaruso
All it took was four and a half minutes at the end of the first half for Seton Hall to find its footing and build up enough momentum to propel itself to a statement road win.
Leading only 29-28 with just under five minutes left until halftime, Seton Hall strung together a 15-0 run to put itself up 44-28 heading into the locker room. That 16-point lead proved to be enough to keep Xavier at bay in the second half, as the Pirates rolled to an 85-68 win at the Cintas Center.
Xavier shot nearly 60% from the field in the first 10 minutes of first half play, but Seton Hall locked in defensively from that point on, forcing the Musketeers into a cold stretch that resulted in that field goal percentage dropping to 39.4% at halftime. As Xavier failed to find the bottom of the net possession after possession, a spry Bryce Aiken spearheaded a balanced Seton Hall offensive attack that featured seven players scoring more than five points in the first half. That continued into the second half, as Aiken finished with 11 points and 3 assists in what was easily his best performance as a Pirate so far. Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Pirates with 18 points, while Myles Cale, Takal Molson, Jared Rhoden and Tyrese Samuel all chipped in double-digit scoring efforts.
Quick Thoughts
-Seton Hall is a completely different team when Bryce Aiken is healthy and productive. Aiken finally looked like himself against Xavier and it was evident nearly every second he was on the floor. Not only did he look quicker than he has since the Louisville game, but he was also playing with much more confidence and intelligence. Aiken had been pressing since returning from his ankle injury. That was not the case Wednesday night. As long as Aiken stays healthy and continues to play his game within the flow of Kevin Willard’s offense, Seton Hall’s potential skyrockets to the point where it might be the third-best team in the Big East without much of a debate.
-Seton Hall beat Xavier in all hustle stat categories. From rebounds to second chance points and fast break points, name a hustle stat and Seton Hall outdid the Musketeers in it. In a matchup of two teams that are known for playing a gritty style of basketball, the team that wants it more is going to come out on top more often than not. Seton Hall was that team Wednesday night.
-There has been a lot of talk about Seton Hall’s “role players” needing to step up and help Sandro Mamukelashvili throughout this season – and rightfully so. Seton Hall took that to the next level with the balance it displayed against Xavier. Aiken, Myles Cale, Mamukelashvili, Takal Molson, Jared Rhoden and Tyrese Samuel all finished in double figures. It does not get any better than that offensively.
-Impressive effort by Samuel on both ends of the floor. He is still not a finished product, but is seemingly inching closer with each game.
“I thought Tyrese was spectacular,” Willard said postgame. “I thought he played really well defensively.”
-The one thing we did not see much of against Xavier was Aiken and Reynolds on the floor at the same time – something Willard hinted he would do more of after the Georgetown game. That probably has more to do with sticking to what was working with Aiken on fire for most of the night more than anything else. It will be interesting to see if that is a backcourt duo that gets more run against Butler.
-There is no reason to not be encouraged about the direction Seton Hall is heading with the way it played against Xavier. Going to the Cintas Center – even without Xavier having the true homecourt advantage – and leaving with a win is not easy. The Pirates flat out dominated over the final 25 minutes of action and left no doubt that they belong as a contender in the Big East. Consider Seton Hall’s latest litmus test passed with flying colors.
“"Watching these kids play basketball right now is inspiring,” Willard said. “They're playing with their hearts, they're playing the game they love."
By the Numbers
Field Goal Percentage: Seton Hall – 52.5% , Xavier – 43.1%
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage: Seton Hall – 7-23 (30.4%) , Xavier 5-24 (20.8%)
Rebounds: Seton Hall – 42, Xavier 28
Free Throws: Seton Hall – 14-14 , Xavier – 7-11
Defensive Rebounds: Seton Hall – 32, Xavier – 19
Time with Lead: Seton Hall - 27:09 , Xavier - 7:21
Largest Lead: Seton Hall - 27 , Xavier - 6
Fastbreak Points: Seton Hall – 13 , Xavier – 7
Points in the Paint: Seton Hall – 44, Xavier - 36
Second Chance Points: Seton Hall 15, Xavier – 11
