Pirates Overcome 19-Point Deficit to Down St. John's, 68-62 - Seton Hall University Athletics
The Seton Hall men's basketball team fought back from a 19-point deficit late in the first half to take home a 68-62 victory over St. John's on Sunday night ...
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Elmont, N.Y. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team fought back from a 19-point deficit late in the first half to take home a 68-62 victory over St. John's on Sunday night inside UBS Arena.
Three Pirates scored in double figures, led by 19 points from Al-Amir Dawes (Newark, N.J.) and an 18-point, 11-rebound effort from Kadary Richmond (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Dre Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.), despite missing the second half in the win over Xavier and limited practice time due to an ankle injury, came off the bench to add 15 points and seven rebounds.
The comeback is the largest by Seton Hall since overcoming a 19-point deficit to beat Penn State on Dec. 6, 2020. It is also the largest comeback in a BIG EAST game by the Pirates since erasing a 20-point St. John's lead in a 69-61 overtime win on Jan. 4, 2006.
How It Happened
The Red Storm jumped out to an 8-0 lead and they held on to a 12-4 advantage at the 15:25 mark in the first half. A free throw and back-to-back layups made by Bediako made it a three-point game, 12-9. However, St. John's used a 7-0 run that pushed their lead to 10, 19-9, with 10:58 left in the first half.
St. John's extended their lead to 19 with 3:09 to go before halftime before the Pirates started being aggressive and getting to the foul line. Davis scored the Pirates' next four points before a layup by Richmond and four-straight points at the free throw line by Dawes capped off a 10-3 run that closed the first half and trimmed its deficit to 12 at the break, 41-29.
Seton Hall flipped the script in the second half and it started on the defensive end. The Pirates went on an 18-4 run that turned an 11-point deficit in to a two-point lead, 47-45, with 8:15 to go. In that span of 11-plus minutes, The Hall held St. John's to just one made field goals as the Red Storm went 1-of-10 from the floor. After St. John's drew within one with 7:58 to play, Dylan Addae-Wusu (Bronx, N.Y.) converted a traditional three-point play that made it a two-possession game and it gave the Pirates their largest lead of the game to that point, 50-46.
St. John's went back in front by one, 53-52, on a three-point basket with just over five minutes left but The Hall used a 9-0 run, highlighted by a Dawes three at the top of the arc that made it a four-point game, that gave the Pirates a commanding 61-53 lead.
Inside The Box Score
- Seton Hall shot just 37 percent from the floor but it held St. John's to 33 percent shooting from the field.
- The Pirates went 3-of-15 from deep and held the Red Storm to 6-of-25 shooting from three.
- Seton Hall finished plus-two on the glass, 44-42, and the Red Storm had a plus-two advantage on the offensive board, 13-11.
- 32 of Seton Hall's 68 were scored in the paint and it finished with 23 fast break points.
- The Pirates had the lead for eight minutes and St. John's held a lead for 30:24.
- Seton Hall earns its 10th BIG EAST victory of the season, making it five consecutive seasons that the Pirates have won 10 or more BIG EAST games.
- Shaheen Holloway now has 98 career victories as a head coach and has registered 34 in his first two seasons as the head coach at Seton Hall, tying him with the current record holder Kevin Willard for the most victories in program history by a head coach in his first two seasons.
- Holloway is now 2-2 all-time against Rick Pitino and 4-3 against St. John's in his career.
- Holloway is one of eight coaches in the history of the BIG EAST to win at least 10 conference games in his first two seasons joining Bob Huggins (West Virginia), Jamie Dixon (Pitt), Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Paul Evans (Pitt), Buzz Williams (Marquette), Mike Jarvis (St. John's), Chris Holtmann (Butler).
- Richmond now has five double-doubles this season and eight in his career.
- Richmond's two steals moves him past Bryan Caver into sole possession of 15th in program history.
- Davis now at 948 career points after his 15-point showing.
- Addae-Wusu now has 951 career points.
- Dawes' 137 made three-pointers at Seton Hall ranks 18th in program history and is one behind James Major for 18th.
- Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Orange, N.J.) tied his career high with two steals, both of which led to made baskets.
With no midweek contest this week, Seton Hall will return home on Feb. 24 when the Pirates host Butler at 8:30 p.m. at Prudential Center. Tickets can be purchased at setonhalltix.com.
