Pirates Outlast Saint Peter's on Opening Night, 57-53

Published: Monday, November 4, 2024

by CJ Weipz

NEWARK, N.J. – The Seton Hall Pirates (1-0) and Saint Peter’s Peacocks (0-1) combined for 53 fouls in a game best described as a heavyweight bout between two in-state rivals. The Pirates found their way out of the ring with a 57-53 win on Monday night, with enough physicality to make even the greatest boxers jealous. 

Chaunce Jenkins led the way for Coach Holloway’s squad, scoring 19 points on an efficient 4-of-9 shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers in his 33 minutes of playing time.  

"I had two guys play 33 minutes, which I don’t want to do ever," Coach Holloway said after the close win. The Hall was without Isaiah Coleman and Louisville transfer Emanuel Okorafor due to injury, leading to extra minutes for Jenkins and fellow returner Dylan Addae-Wusu at the guard position. 

The Pirates' bench saw plenty of early action in the first half, with 10 players hitting the floor for Seton Hall. Yacine Toumi, who was left out of the starting lineup in favor of freshman Godswill Erheriene, made an immediate impact with a pick-and-pop 3-pointer and a smooth jumper from the left elbow. 

David Tubek contributed in the first half as well, knocking down a triple of his own before getting to the charity stripe to add two more.  

Saint Peter’s, known for its strong defense, kept the game close. After a pair of free throws put the Pirates up by 11 with less than five minutes left in the first half, the Peacocks held Seton Hall to just one point the rest of the way, cutting the lead to five at halftime. 

The Hall had a slow start to the second half as Bashir Mason’s squad battled back, eventually tying the game at 38 with 12:37 left in regulation. Preseason All-MAAC selections Marcus Randolph and Muhammed Sow led the charge, finishing with nine and six points, respectively, before fouling out. 

The two squads went back and forth until the homestretch, when Saint Peter’s took a four-point lead—its largest of the night. Free throws from Jenkins and a massive alley-oop to Prince Aligbe put Seton Hall ahead with less than four minutes to play, and the Pirates never looked back. 

Toumi capped off the night with a block on Bryce Eaton, the lone double-digit scorer for Saint Peter’s, as time expired. 

“It’s something to build on,” Holloway said. “I’m proud of our guys for sticking in there. It was a rough game, a hard game—our first game. For a lot of these guys, it’s their first time playing, so it’s something to build on.” 
The slugfest ended with Seton Hall shooting a mere 14 of 44 from the field, including 5 of 16 from beyond the arc, and a dismal 24 of 37 from the free-throw line. 

Seton Hall looks to maintain its momentum against Fordham this Saturday at Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. and will be broadcast live on 89.5 FM WSOU. Miguel Freire and Kyle Ferreira will have the call. 

CJ Weipz is an Assistant Sports Director at 89.5 WSOU and can be reached at christopher.weipz@student.shu.edu.

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