Seton Hall edged Marquette 81-79 in a tense game marred by technical fouls and ejections, earning the Pirates a date with Villanova in the Big East tournament title game.
Unsurprisingly, Theo John was at the center of the controversy, hitting Myles Powell with late contact on a drive to the basket that started a scuffle. When the dust had settled, John and Sacar Anim had been ejected for Marquette while Sandro Mamukelashvili was sent packing for the Hall.
There was some confusion surrounding the status of Powell after the incident, as the Pirates briefly believed he was also ejected before officials gave the OK to have him return. His 18 second-half points helped propel the Pirates to the win.
The Pirates were strong on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 47-39 while grabbing 18 offensive rebounds. They held Marquette to 35.6 percent shooting and 30.8 percent from 3 and only committed eight turnovers.
Powell led the way with 22 points, hitting five of Seton Hall’s seven 3-pointers. Quincy McKnight chipped in 18 while Michael Nzei had 14. Mamukelashvili had 10 before his ejection.
Villanova fans remember the last meeting with the Pirates well, as Seton Hall handed the ‘Cats a 79-75 loss in the regular season finale.
In that game, ‘Nova was hurt by turnovers, committing 14 while only forcing nine. The Wildcats sent the Pirates to the foul line 27 times, helping the Hall to a four-point edge from the charity stripe. The ‘Cats also lost the battle on the boards 35-30 and gave up 18 offensive rebounds.
‘Nova was also hurt by bench play, as its reserves were outscored 17-0 by the Seton Hall bench. Freshman Jared Rhoden, who averages 3.3 points per game, scored a career-high 15 points. It was the only time this season that he reached double-figures. Meanwhile, Joe Cremo and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree contributed just three rebounds and two assists for the ‘Cats.
Five Pirates reached double figures and the backcourt of Powell and Myles Cale combined for 39 points on 10-18 shooting from deep.
The combination of anomalously hot shooting, Rhoden’s surprise performance, and sloppy play from the ‘Cats proved too much to overcome.
In the first meeting between the teams, Villanova cruised to an 80-52 win in what was one of its best defensive performances of the season.
The ‘Cats did a fantastic job on Powell, holding him to three points on five shots. Cale was the only Pirate to reach double figures and Seton Hall shot just 34.6 percent from the floor and 30.4 percent from 3. The ‘Cats committed 14 turnovers, but this time they forced 18.
Offensively, the Wildcats poured in 17 3’s, building a 30-point advantage from deep. 10 Wildcats scored and they got 16 points from their bench. Villanova won the rebounding battle 36-33.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the glass and on turnovers, as the team that got the better of those categories won each of the first two meetings.
Seton Hall shoots just 32.5 percent from 3 on the season but hit 48.1 percent in its win over the ‘Cats. ‘Nova struggled guarding the perimeter in transition in that loss, and if the ‘Cats can hold the Hall close to its season’s percentage from deep, things tilt in their favor.
The Pirates have won four straight, including that win over ‘Nova and two over Marquette. They’ve likely played their way into the NCAA tournament but would prefer to not leave their invite to chance by taking down the ‘Cats again and claiming the Big East tournament title. Villanova, meanwhile, will be looking for it’s fourth Big East tournament championship in five years. A win by ‘Nova would tie them with Syracuse for the second-most Big East tournament titles, and more importantly, give it a boost in seeding in the NCAA tournament.
Coverage starts at 6 on Fox with tip-off scheduled for 6:30.
