No.18 Seton Hall downs No.5 Butler, 78-70, in thriller at Hinkle Fieldhouse

Date: January 15, 2020

By: Angelique McKenzie

The Seton Hall men’s basketball team beat Butler, 78 -70, this Wednesday, Jan. 15, extending their win streak to seven games. They now have an overall record of 13-4 and a conference record of 5-0.

This win secures the team’s spot as first in the Big East, as they remain the only unbeaten team in conference play. This game also marks the third time in four years that the Pirates have notched a comeback win against the Bulldogs.

The Pirates once again got off to a rough start in the first half. Despite making some big shots, Seton Hall only made 11 of their 29 attempts for a percentage of 37.9. They were also losing the battle on the boards notching only 13 rebounds to Butler’s 19. There were a couple of moments where the Pirates were able to narrow the Bulldogs lead and even take it themselves for a short while.

This did not last long as Butler managed to get a 10-point lead and hold on to it until halftime. By the second half it seemed as though the Hall was finally getting into a groove of their own both offensively and defensively. They shot an improved 44.8 percent from the floor and forced five Bulldog turnovers. The team had a combined four blocks and also got back in the game pulling down 21 rebounds.

Ultimately, the Pirates fought back to victory on a combination of forcing Butler to send them to the line and making their shots when they got there. They shot 18 of 21 from the charity stripe in the second half compared to the 3 of 4 in the first. Senior guard Myles Powell once again led the team in scoring with 29 points.

He also finished the game with seven rebounds and three steals. Fellow senior Quincy McKnight had his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 assists. The true standouts of the game however were Romaro Gill who tied his career-high with 17 points and Jared Rhoden who hit the three-pointer in the final minute that ultimately sealed the Hall’s comeback.

After the game head coach Kevin Willard was quoted saying; “I really thought we were able to score and press in the second half. The biggest thing we took away were McDermott and Tucker.”

Willard also discussed Powell’s performance calling him the best player in America. The men’s basketball team will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 18, when they play St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.

Angelique McKenzie can be reached at angelique.mckenzie@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, WSOU, Men's Basketball