You always learn how great a team is in college basketball when you witness how they handle adversity and bounce back on the road.
If you have been watching the Seton Hall Pirates lately, then you know this team is for real. If not then there’s a chance that you are late to the party
The Pirates were down 43-30 at the half to St. John’s, then they outscored them 23-11 to start the second half to cut the deficit to one. From there, the Pirates battled with the Red Storm back and forth until they were able to pull away late in the game due to their great free throw shooting and late-game heroics by Seniors Myles Powell and Quincy McKnight to seal the 82-79 victory. “Yesterday’s comeback win was a true testament to how experienced this Seton Hall team is. “ When you have more experience, it makes a difference. These guys know, and they have more confidence, and they understand what we are doing,” Says Head coach Kevin Willard.
As Redshirt Junior Center Romaro Gill puts it knowing their mistakes and making adjustments was vital. “I think we went into the locker room and regrouped. We know we made mistakes in the first half, and we came back with a different mindset”. Gill was a force in the paint for Seton Hall as he scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 16 shots in yesterday’s win.
Yesterday’s win was Seton Hall’s eighth in a row, and their fourth road win in six conference games. What makes yesterday’s win more special is that Myles Powell reached 2,000 career points he finished with 29 points and now has 2,022 career points, more importantly, he did it at MSG which as he explained is a second home for him and the Pirates “ When we come into this building it’s special. We feel this is our second home; if you know the Pirates, you know we love coming to the Garden, and we are looking forward to coming back into the tournament”.
Photo Credit: Sarah Stier – Associated Press
Conference play brings out the best in a team, and for Seton Hall, after finishing their toughest stretch in conference play without a loss is impressive as Quincy McKnight points out their toughness is what gets them through. “We are just showing everyone how tough we are. We were down ten at Hinkle (Butler), and we came back, down 13 today at the half and came back again. “We are just showing everyone that we are going to fight every game. We have a hard nose coach in Kevin Willard, who always pushes us to keep being better. Everyone is playing their role right now, and that’s what makes us so good right now. Nobody is forcing the issue. Everybody is just doing what they do”.
Seton Hall is currently ranked 18th in the nation with a chance to make a massive jump in tomorrow’s rankings. They also have a three-game road stretch where they have an opportunity to reach the halfway point of Big East play undefeated. If there is any team that you want to bet on, the Pirates are that team and their toughness and resiliency shows.
