Pirates Looking to Bounce Back Against Wagner at Walsh Gym

Published: Saturday, November 16, 2024

by AJ Rayer

The Seton Hall Pirates (1-2) will return to Walsh Gymnasium Saturday afternoon to take on the Wagner Seahawks (1-2) from the Northeast Conference. Seton Hall is looking to bounce back after losing consecutive games to mid-major opponents Fordham and Hofstra by just 1 point each. Hofstra picked up its first win over the Pirates since 1966 on Wednesday night.

To say this season has been a challenge for the Pirates so far would be an understatement. Seton Hall’s revamped roster has seemed completely out of sync. The team has struggled particularly on the offensive end, shooting 36% from the field and only 57% from the free-throw line as a unit.

Despite the struggles, the Pirates have had bright spots. The aggressive defense that fans have come to expect under coach Shaheen Holloway is still in full force. Seton Hall’s perimeter players have played tenacious on-ball defense throughout the young season. Dylan Addae-Wusu has averaged around three steals in the first three games.

Freshman center Godswill Erheriene has started all three games for the Pirates and, while playing limited minutes, he has looked like the most athletic center in Holloway’s tenure.

Graduate student Chaunce Jenkins hasn't missed a beat offensively and has been carrying the scoring load for the Pirates, averaging 14.3 points per game on 44% shooting from the field. Jenkins is a transfer from Old Dominion, where he was awarded Second Team All-Sun Belt last season.

As for Wagner, the Seahawks snuck into the NCAA tournament as a No. 16 seed last year under head coach Donald Copeland. Wagner defeated Howard in the First Four before falling to North Carolina in the round of 64. Fifty-two percent of the scoring from last year’s team returned this season, including guard Javier Ezguerra, who is averaging eight points and five assists.

The Seahawks have already played a grueling nonconference schedule. Wagner opened its season with a loss against No. 25 Rutgers in Piscataway before picking up an easy win against Manor College at home. No. 22 St. John’s also proved to be too much for the Seahawks, as the Johnnies cruised to an easy win in Wagner’s most recent matchup.

The good news for Seton Hall fans is that the Pirates have been historically dominant against Wagner. Seton Hall is 8-0 all-time against the Seahawks, with the most recent matchup dating back to last season when the Pirates picked up a decisive 72-51 win. No Seahawk reached double figures in that game.

Saturday will allow the Pirates to regroup and hit the reset button on the young season. Jackson Shank and Pat Corsello will be on the call for 89.5 FM WSOU at noon, with the pregame show starting at 11:45 a.m.

AJ Rayer can be reached at alexander.rayer@student.shu.edu. 

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