Seton Hall
Powell leads way with 30, Pirates defeat Georgetown 90-75
Date: February 14, 2019By Michael Daly
The Seton Hall men’s basketball team managed to win their second game in a row on Wednesday night against Georgetown in the Prudential Center, 90-75.
Georgetown’s Josh Leblanc set the pace for his squad with an early lay-in, 16 seconds into the game. The layup gave Georgetown an early 2-0 lead. After a steal by Jamorko Pickett, Mac
McClung sank an assisted three-pointer in transition to extend the Hoya’s edge to 5-2, with 18:32 on the clock.
At the 16:44 point in the first-half, Sandro Mamukelashvili would give the Pirates their first lead of the night with a second-chance three-pointer on the right arc to make it a 9-7 ballgame. Quincy McKnight picked up an assist when he kicked the ball out to Mamukelashvili in the far corner for a three-point shot at the 13:50 waypoint, extending the Pirates’ lead to 12 points, 21-9.
Mamukelashvili spoke on Seton Hall’s ball-movement, “No one on our team held the ball too long. Our offense was consistent. We didn’t hesitate. Whoever was open took the shot.”
Michael Nzei hit two free throws after being fouled on his way to the basket at the 10:47 point in the first-half to give Seton Hall a 25-11 advantage. After capitalizing on a Georgetown turnover, Romaro Gill hammered home a two-handed dunk, which put the Pirates up 41-24 with 4:52 to go. Anthony Nelson was charged with a foul in the paint on James Akinjo with 3:05 left. Georgetown’s freshman guard would sink both attempts at the line and cut into the deficit to make it a 46-28 game. The Hoyas would end the final 1:52 of the half on a 7-0 run, heading into the final 20 minutes trailing 48-35.
15 seconds into the second-half, Jessie Govan made a layup in the paint to put his team within 11 points, as the score was 48-37. Taking advantage of James Akinjo’s turnover at the 17:47 point, Nzei raced down the floor for the basket, putting the Pirates ahead 57-39. On a fast break run, Myles Powell finished strong in the lane, as the Pirates jumped out to a 63-42 lead with 15:59 on the clock.
At the 11:53 mark, Powell gave the Pirates a 71-55 advantage when he hit a three-pointer on the right arc. Greg Malinowski knocked down a second-chance three-point shot, with 8:41 on the clock. Georgetown attempted to climb back, as they trailed 73-68. The Pirates pulled away from the Hoyas with 3:30 on the clock after McKnight scored a layup. Powell’s layup in transition at the 1:30 mark put the game away for the Pirates, and Seton Hall went on to win 90-75.
Coach Willard talked about his team’s effort this week and Powell’s performance, “Being home this past week was great because we have been practicing hard this week. Practicing as much as we did put a young basketball team back into a rhythm. I thought everyone picked up on Myles’ body language. He has been the leader in practice and it showed tonight.”
Seton Hall goes to 15-9 on the season and 6-6 in the Big East. The Pirates will travel Omaha, Nebraska, for a Sunday afternoon tip-off against Creighton at 3 p.m.
Michael Daly can be reached at michael.daly@student.shu.edu.
