Monmouth Upsets Pirates For First Win Of Season

Published: Saturday, November 30, 2024

by Miguel Freire

NEWARK, N.J. – For the first time in 16 meetings, the Monmouth Hawks (1-8) defeated the Seton Hall Pirates (4-4) on their home turf, 63-51. The Pirates were outplayed, outhustled, and exposed in arguably their worst performance of the young season. The Hawks played with a poise and confidence that left Seton Hall behind on Saturday afternoon.

Both sides traded baskets and went on runs during the first half, with Monmouth holding a narrow 29-27 lead at halftime. However, the floodgates opened early in the second half as Monmouth went on a 10-2 run, forcing Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway to call a timeout. Already without veteran leader Dylan Addae-Wusu, Seton Hall struggled to regain control of the game.

Seton Hall never found answers and couldn't string together runs to get back in it, as Monmouth pulled off a 63-51 victory. The Hawks were led by sophomore Abdi Bashir Jr., who torched the Pirates' defense throughout the afternoon. Bashir finished with 28 points, shooting 11 of 19 from the field and 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. Seton Hall had no answer for the Omaha, Nebraska, native.

While it was a dismal performance for Seton Hall, one positive was Isaiah Coleman, who finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. The sophomore was arguably the only bright spot for a Pirates team searching for any spark. 

Chaunce Jenkins continued his consistent play early, hitting two 3-pointers and logging 19 minutes. He was crucial in helping the Pirates rally late in the first half, with his second 3 cutting the Owls’ lead to one. The second half told a different story, as Jenkins went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc and couldn’t spark another comeback.

Seton Hall’s free throw struggles again did them no favors, as they shot just 8-for-16 from the line. Aside from steals, the Pirates trailed Monmouth in nearly every major statistical category, reflecting the nature of their performance. To the naked eye, the team appeared to lack the grit and grind typically associated with a Shaheen Holloway-led squad. In the postgame press conference, Holloway said practices had not been at the level they should be recently and acknowledged that the “better team won” that day.

Seton Hall doesn’t have much time to dwell on the 63-51 loss, with its next challenge coming against local rival NJIT. The Highlanders are led by former Pirate standout Grant Billmeier, who will return to the Prudential Center for the first time as NJIT’s head coach. Tip-off is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.

Miguel Freire can be reached at miguel.freire@student.shu.edu. 

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