Seton Hall
Pirates escape Creighton, 63-58 at The Rock
Date: February 9, 2019By Mat Mlodzinski
Seton Hall took a tight one at home, 63-58, over Creighton, giving the Pirates a 14-9 record. The win keeps the Pirates in good standing in terms of bubble talk, after a few weeks of uncertainty.
The Pirates got off to a quick 8-2 start, with six of those coming from Sandro Mamukelashvili. However, no one was quite able to catch fire, as Creighton stayed within striking distance, eventually taking a 29-28 lead late into the first half. Seton Hall was able to rebound however, taking a 31-29 lead into the break.
Kevin Willard’s crew got off to a fast start again to start the 2nd half, forcing Creighton to call timeout with the Pirates up 41-29. Creighton adjusted well out of the timeout, working the ball down low to Martin Krampelj often, eventually taking the lead, 49-46. The Bluejays held on to that lead, as the Pirates offense went stagnant. However, Seton Hall crept back, eventually retaking the lead, 57-56.
Myles Powell proved to be clutch at the free throw line, giving the Pirates a 61-58 lead with 10.7 seconds to play. Davion Mintz proceeded to miss the first of a one and one, allowing Seton Hall to close the game out on the charity stripe, 63-58, much to the delight of Quincy McKnight, who applauded after the game, “Myles closes out the game for us all of the time.”
After the game, Coach Willard also commended Myles Powell for his game-closing performance, saying, “When he plays with his sense of urgency and fire at the end of games, he’s unstoppable.”
Standouts for the Pirates were Powell (22 points, 10/10 from the line, 7 rebounds), and McKnight (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists). The Hall returns to the Prudential Center on Wednesday, February 13th, vs Georgetown, in a game that will have a huge impact come Selection Sunday.
Mat Mlodzinski can be reached at mat.mlodzinski@student.shu.edu.
