Relive Myles Powell's 40-point Thanksgiving game

Date: November 26, 2020

By: Michael Daly

Kohjiro Kinno/ESPN Images

On Thanksgiving 2018, Myles Powell had a record-setting game against Grand Canyon University at the Wooden Legacy. Powell tied James Harden’s record of 40 points at the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, Calif. Harden notched the record with the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2008.

 

The game took place during his junior season at Seton Hall, and the scoring total stood as his career-high in points throughout his four years at the Hall. His 40 points carried the Pirates to an 82-75 victory over the Antelopes. Overall, Powell had a well-balanced performance with seven rebounds and four assists.

The Pirates get the win 82-75 over Grand Canyon. Myles Powell finished with 40 pts, 7 rebs, and 4 asts in the win.

— WSOU Sports (@WSOUSports) November 23, 2018

Grand Canyon played a physical contest against Seton Hall and the game was neck and neck until the final minutes when the Pirates pulled away. This was a must-win for the Pirates in the Wooden Legacy because a loss would have eliminated them contention in the tournament’s title game.

 

This game was difficult for Seton Hall because Grand Canyon had the majority of fans present at the game due to the proximity between Phoenix and Fullerton. The Grand Canyon Antelopes played their best defense on Powell, but his ability to change the game was too much for them to handle.

 

Although Powell had his way with their defensive matchups, GCU did a solid job with keeping the rest of Seton Hall’s lineup in check. The next two leading scorers for the Pirates were Taurean Thompson with 12 points, and Quincy McKnight who scored 11 points.

Myles Powell becomes the 15th player in Seton Hall history to score 40 points in a game as the Pirates survive a quality Grand Canyon squad 82-75. Powell with 12-16 FGs, 7 rebounds, 4 assists. The legend grows.

— Jerry Carino (@NJHoopsHaven) November 23, 2018

On that night, Powell joined an impressive list of 15 former Seton Hall players who recorded at least 40 points in a single game. Prior to Powell’s 40 points, Khadeen Carrington was the last Seton Hall Pirate to score 40 points in a game. Carrington recorded 41 points against Creighton on Feb. 15, 2017.

 

From 2009- 2020, the only Pirates who scored 40 points in a single game were Jeremy Hazell, Carrington, and Powell. After this victory, the Pirates went on to win the Wooden Legacy Championship on Sunday, Nov. 25, against the Miami Hurricanes, 83-81. The win against Grand Canyon was a forgotten momentum starter that gave the Pirates confidence for the remainder of their non-conference play.

40 for Myles Powell. What can't this guy do? Seton Hall holds off upstart Grand Canyon at the Wooden Legacy. WOW. #shbb

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 23, 2018

For the remainder of his career at Seton Hall, Powell never matched or exceeded his 40-point total. His second career high point total in a game was 37 points against Michigan State on Nov. 14, 2019.

 

Powell’s 40 points propelled the Pirates to a 2-2 record in the 2018-2019 season, and Seton Hall relied upon Powell for the rest of the season. Powell was named the MVP of the 2018 Wooden Legacy. This game in 2018 was Seton Hall’s third straight game on Thanksgiving. In 2020, Seton Hall will not be playing on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2015.

Michael Daly is the station manager of 89.5 FM WSOU, and can be reached at wsoustationmanager@gmail.com.

Posted in: Sports, WSOU, Men's Basketball