by JP Pelzman
NEWARK – To hear Quincy McKnight describe it, the middle portion of the Big East standings is something akin to a Grade-B science-fiction movie from the 1950s.
“You see that big blob of (teams) that are tied for third place right now,” the Seton Hall junior guard said Saturday night after his team’s 63-58 victory over Creighton, “and we’re just trying to separate ourselves.”
The goal, of course, is for the Pirates not to find out on Selection Sunday that they’ve been cast in the film called “The Creature From The NIT."
That “blob” that McKnight was referring to--and he said it twice in the post-game--is the current five-way tie for third place in the conference. Both St. John’s and Georgetown had a chance Saturday afternoon to get on the desirable side of the .500 mark, but both let that opportunity slip away by failing to protect home court. Instead, the Mustapha Heron-less Red Storm lost to Providence and Georgetown was upended by suddenly rejuvenated Butler.
Combine that with DePaul winning at Xavier at night, and thus Seton Hall (14-9 overall), Georgetown, St. John’s, Butler and DePaul all woke up today at 5-6, with Providence lurking a half-game behind at 4-6. “The last two or three years,” coach Kevin Willard said, “the ninth- and tenth-place teams, you could almost look at and say you've got a W. (Now) there's no one you look at and say you're going to get a W, nobody.”
Creighton (13-11, 4-7) was hoping to join that third-place blob, but much like one of those 1950s flicks, the Bluejays were thwarted in the final reel by Seton Hall’s usual leading man, Myles Powell. Despite suffering through a 2-for-9 shooting night from three-point range (which was the first thing he noticed on the stat sheet when he sat down for his post-game media session), he still managed to score 13 of the Pirates’ last 15 points. That included drawing a momentum-changing foul on a three-point attempt, and then draining all three free throws; a contested driving layup that put Seton Hall ahead to stay, 59-58; and four foul shots in the final 10.7 seconds to send the crowd home happy before the end credits.
All of this helped the Pirates rally from a 54-48 deficit in the last four minutes.
Powell said Willard told him, “This is what you live for. This is your time.”
Powell, who finished with 22 points and 10-for-10 from the line, added, “They just put the ball in my hands and I made plays. I knew how important the win was.”
“Myles is a warrior,” Mike Nzei said. “Whenever he’s not (playing well), we always know he’s going to (eventually) come through for us.”
“We’ve been riding Myles the whole season,” McKnight said.
The Hall also was helped by the fact that mad scientist Willard went into his lab and produced a different end-game formula than usual for him, and it was a winning one. Willard doesn’t believe in fouling when ahead by three in the closing seconds. But after Powell’s two free throws made it 61-58, he ordered his team to foul before the Bluejays could get in position for a three-pointer.
Shavar Reynolds hacked point guard Davion Mintz, and he picked the right guy. At least for Seton Hall, that is. Mintz, who was 0-for-11 from the floor, bricked the front end of a one-and-one with 7.8 seconds to go. Powell--who else--secured the rebound and iced the game with two more free throws.
Willard admitted it was a departure from his usual modus operandi and said he did it to avoid overtime, given the foul trouble plaguing his team.
“The only reason I did it, and I usually don't,” he said, “One, (Creighton coach Greg McDermott) is a really good coach at end-of-game situations and they have enough shooters on the floor, and two, I was worried that if we did go to overtime with our foul trouble--Myles (Powell) having four, Q having four--more than likely, one of them's going to pick up their fifth and foul out, and I didn't want to get in that situation where we fought back, we came back, but now all of a sudden, we go to overtime and they get a foul.
"So those were the two biggest factors. If Myles didn't have fouls and Q didn't have fouls, I probably wouldn't have fouled.”
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes for us to get back to that tournament,” Powell said, referring to the NCAAs.
McKnight said, “We’re just trying to stay afloat.”
And to get away from the blob.
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS
NEWARK – To hear Quincy McKnight describe it, the middle portion of the Big East standings is something akin to a Grade-B science-fiction movie from the 1950s.
“You see that big blob of (teams) that are tied for third place right now,” the Seton Hall junior guard said Saturday night after his team’s 63-58 victory over Creighton, “and we’re just trying to separate ourselves.”
The goal, of course, is for the Pirates not to find out on Selection Sunday that they’ve been cast in the film called “The Creature From The NIT."
That “blob” that McKnight was referring to--and he said it twice in the post-game--is the current five-way tie for third place in the conference. Both St. John’s and Georgetown had a chance Saturday afternoon to get on the desirable side of the .500 mark, but both let that opportunity slip away by failing to protect home court. Instead, the Mustapha Heron-less Red Storm lost to Providence and Georgetown was upended by suddenly rejuvenated Butler.
Combine that with DePaul winning at Xavier at night, and thus Seton Hall (14-9 overall), Georgetown, St. John’s, Butler and DePaul all woke up today at 5-6, with Providence lurking a half-game behind at 4-6. “The last two or three years,” coach Kevin Willard said, “the ninth- and tenth-place teams, you could almost look at and say you've got a W. (Now) there's no one you look at and say you're going to get a W, nobody.”
Creighton (13-11, 4-7) was hoping to join that third-place blob, but much like one of those 1950s flicks, the Bluejays were thwarted in the final reel by Seton Hall’s usual leading man, Myles Powell. Despite suffering through a 2-for-9 shooting night from three-point range (which was the first thing he noticed on the stat sheet when he sat down for his post-game media session), he still managed to score 13 of the Pirates’ last 15 points. That included drawing a momentum-changing foul on a three-point attempt, and then draining all three free throws; a contested driving layup that put Seton Hall ahead to stay, 59-58; and four foul shots in the final 10.7 seconds to send the crowd home happy before the end credits.
All of this helped the Pirates rally from a 54-48 deficit in the last four minutes.
Powell said Willard told him, “This is what you live for. This is your time.”
Powell, who finished with 22 points and 10-for-10 from the line, added, “They just put the ball in my hands and I made plays. I knew how important the win was.”
“Myles is a warrior,” Mike Nzei said. “Whenever he’s not (playing well), we always know he’s going to (eventually) come through for us.”
“We’ve been riding Myles the whole season,” McKnight said.
The Hall also was helped by the fact that mad scientist Willard went into his lab and produced a different end-game formula than usual for him, and it was a winning one. Willard doesn’t believe in fouling when ahead by three in the closing seconds. But after Powell’s two free throws made it 61-58, he ordered his team to foul before the Bluejays could get in position for a three-pointer.
Shavar Reynolds hacked point guard Davion Mintz, and he picked the right guy. At least for Seton Hall, that is. Mintz, who was 0-for-11 from the floor, bricked the front end of a one-and-one with 7.8 seconds to go. Powell--who else--secured the rebound and iced the game with two more free throws.
Willard admitted it was a departure from his usual modus operandi and said he did it to avoid overtime, given the foul trouble plaguing his team.
“The only reason I did it, and I usually don't,” he said, “One, (Creighton coach Greg McDermott) is a really good coach at end-of-game situations and they have enough shooters on the floor, and two, I was worried that if we did go to overtime with our foul trouble--Myles (Powell) having four, Q having four--more than likely, one of them's going to pick up their fifth and foul out, and I didn't want to get in that situation where we fought back, we came back, but now all of a sudden, we go to overtime and they get a foul.
"So those were the two biggest factors. If Myles didn't have fouls and Q didn't have fouls, I probably wouldn't have fouled.”
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes for us to get back to that tournament,” Powell said, referring to the NCAAs.
McKnight said, “We’re just trying to stay afloat.”
And to get away from the blob.
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS
