Seton Hall
Carrington Paces No. 23 Seton Hall in Dominant Win over Wagner
Date: December 20, 2017
(Photo: SHU Athletics)
By: Bob Towey
Seton Hall men's basketball (10-2) defeated the Wagner Seahawks (7-3), 89-68, at Prudential Center Wednesday night.
This victory against Wagner, the top team in the Northeast Conference, marked the Pirates' ninth consecutive time beating the Seahawks and a return to form after a stunning loss at Rutgers last weekend. The Pirates' win also capped off a tumultuous start to the week for the team and its freshman point guard, Jordan Walker. Walker, who just yesterday reportedly said he wanted off the team after not playing against Rutgers, was with the team tonight. Head coach Kevin Willard opted to sit Walker against Wagner, since Walker had not practiced with the team before the game.
"I think everyone has to understand that [Walker has] had a really tough go of it with his injury," Willard said while describing the reasons for Walker's abrupt departure and return. "He hasn't been able to play, and I think it's been very frustrating for the freshman when you can't do what he's been able to do [in the past]."
In the first half, Seton Hall took the lead on its first possession and never gave it back. Khadeen Carrington led all Pirates with 14 points in the first half, and he was electric from beyond the arc. Carrington's first nine points were all three-pointers, and he shot 3-for-3 from downtown. Angel Delgado also dominated the paint for the Hall. He had 10 points in the first half with seven rebounds, putting him well on his way to a double-double.
Seton Hall also locked down Wagner's top scorer, Blake Francis, in the first half. Prior to facing Seton Hall, Francis averaged 20.2 points per game, but the Pirates held him scoreless through the first 20 minutes. However, Wagner's JoJo Cooper kept the heat on the Pirates, leading the Seahawks with 13 points in the first half.
The Pirates maintained the pressure in the second half, and Carrington continued pacing the team's scoring with 12 points. Michel Nzei and Myles Powell each chipped in eight points in the second half, while the Pirates as a whole outshot and outrebounded the Seahawks. Delgado recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Wagner's smaller guards had tremendous difficulty matching up with Delgado in the paint, a weakness that the Pirates exploited the entire game.
Desi Rodriguez appeared to injure his right leg after a collision in the paint after attempting a dunk almost ten minutes into the second half. Rodriguez hopped on his left leg off the court, down the Pirates' tunnel, and into the locker room after the injury. He returned to the sideline shortly after, and eventually took the court again, finishing the game with nine points.
For Wagner, Francis scored his first bucket of the game with 6:46 remaining in the second half. Seton Hall's ability to shut him down and force the Seahawks to rely on Cooper and forward Nigel Jackson, who ended the game with 12 points, proved too much for Wagner to overcome. Khadeen Carrington led the Hall with 26 points, and this victory meant vindication for him after a subpar performance against Rutgers.
"I was down on myself a little bit [after playing Rutgers], especially because of the way I was shooting prior to this game," Carrington said. However, Carrington added that his focus now is on the team's game against Manhattan on Saturday, and then the team's conference schedule after that.
The Pirates return to the Rock on Dec. 23 to take on Manhattan College (4-6) at noon. That matchup will be the Pirates final non-conference game before they take on Big East opponents for the remainder of the season. The team begins its conference schedule against Creighton (9-2) on Dec. 28.
Bob Towey can be reached at robert.towey@student.shu.edu.
