Seton Hall Falls to Creighton Despite Strong Start

Published: Saturday, January 25, 2025

by Darren Worrell

OMAHA, Neb. – The Seton Hall Pirates (6-14, 1-8) continued its conference struggles Saturday, falling 79-54 to Creighton (14-6, 7-2) in Omaha. Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner led all scorers with 23 points and 9 rebounds, while Steven Ashworth added 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three.

As the starting lineups were announced for both teams, there was a surprise. Isaiah Coleman, the Pirates’ leading scorer at 15.8 points per game, was not in uniform and did not travel with the team for this pivotal matchup. Coleman’s absence was a significant loss for the Pirates, as he has been their most reliable offensive weapon.

Adding to their challenges, Chaunce Jenkins, the second-leading scorer averaging 11 points per game, was also sidelined with an injury. Dylan Addae-Wusu, who had missed the last three games with a foot injury, was available but came off the bench.

Missing these key players did not seem to be a problem for the Pirates in the first half, as they had their best half of the season to start the game. From the opening tip, the Pirates played like they had a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.

Garwey Dual did an excellent job running the offense and creating his own scoring opportunities. He had six of his 10 points in the first half and also contributed three assists by finding his teammates in their spots. Emmanuel Okorafor also delivered a strong performance, scoring eight points in the first half and playing with great rhythm.

The Pirates built a 28-20 lead at one point, but Steven Ashworth and Ryan Kalkbrenner sparked an 18-6 run to shift the momentum. Ashworth scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half, including eight during the run. Kalkbrenner added four points and recorded two key blocks. Despite the surge, the Pirates trailed 38-34 at halftime but were still in decent shape.

The second half was a complete disaster for the Pirates as they were outscored 41-20. Creighton went on a strong run that put Seton Hall out of reach. After a few key free throws and electrifying fast-break dunks from Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton stretched its lead into double digits.

The Bluejays capitalized on Seton Hall’s mistakes, turning turnovers and missed shots into quick points, highlighted by three-pointers from Jasen Green and Isaac Traudt. Although Seton Hall fought back with layups and tough rebounds, Creighton’s defense remained solid, and the team continued to push the pace.

Every fast-break opportunity allowed Creighton to further extend its lead, eventually going up by 26 points. Seton Hall managed a couple of late scores, but it wasn’t enough. Creighton had already taken control and never let go.

Despite the loss, the Pirates' numbers were not as bad as they seemed. They shot 83% from the free-throw line and forced several turnovers, recording nine steals compared to Creighton’s five. While my preview article mentioned that they needed to outrebound Creighton, they were not significantly outrebounded, with only a 29-26 disadvantage. Although the Pirates fell short, they have plenty to be proud of, including their strong first half. However, they’ll need to review what went wrong in the second half.

The Pirates will return to the Rock on Tuesday to face Providence in a rematch of the Jan. 11 game, where Providence came out victorious, 91-85. They’ll look to end their losing streak and pick up their second conference win. Jackson Shank and Miguel Freire will have the call on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Darren Worrell can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu. 

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