WSOU

Recap: Pirates Overpower Yale at Home, 80-44

Date: November 14, 2021

By: Joe Matthews

Seton Hall's Alexis Yetna celebrates during a game at home against Yale.

Seton Hall Athletics

The Seton Hall men’s basketball team picked up its second win of the season this past Sunday, as they took down Yale by a score of 80-44.

The Pirates flat-out dominated the Bulldogs in Sunday’s contest, as they led for the entirety of the game. They got out to a blitzing start, holding a 17-4 advantage after just seven minutes.

Yale began to claw their way back into the game, going on a run in the middle of the first half and bringing the score within four. However, the Pirates began to fight back, and after an Alexis Yetna three-pointer with 7:40 left in the first, they went up 12, and never let the lead reach single digits for the remainder of the game.

One of the biggest reasons the Pirates were able to beat Yale was their prowess on the defensive end, particularly on the perimeter. Yale shot a measly 4/30 from deep, good for 13.3%. After struggling mightily with perimeter defense last season, it is a very encouraging sign to see the Pirates making strides in that area so far this season.

In fact, the defense as a whole has been downright elite for the Pirates in the early goings of the 2021-22 campaign. According to KenPom.com, the Pirates currently hold the 20th best defense in the nation with a 89.9 adjusted defensive efficiency. Their rating is right alongside those of several top-ten nationally ranked teams, including Baylor, Purdue, and Kentucky.

Aside from stellar defense, the Pirates have been receiving some solid offensive performances from their players, and Sunday was no exception. The Pirates were led in scoring by Yetna, who tallied 15 points on 3/5 shooting from beyond the arc. In the preview for the game, Yetna was mentioned as a potential name to watch due to the versatility he could bring against a paint-focused frontcourt defense. He certainly lived up to the expectations, helping to space the floor and dismantle the Yale defense.

Seton Hall also got a solid performance out of guard Kadary Richmond. The Syracuse transfer had struggled to start off his Pirates career, but finally showed a big flash as to why he was such a highly-touted name in the transfer portal this past offseason. Richmond tallied 13 points to go with five rebounds and two steals.

The game also saw Jared Rhoden step onto the hardwood for the first time this season. Rhoden, who missed both the Pirates exhibition match and season opener, came off of the bench and logged eight points to go with 10 boards. Rhoden played only limited minutes, with Coach Willard saying post-game that he was on a restriction of no more than 22 minutes.

Despite the loss, Yale saw some strong performances, namely from Jalen Gabbidon, who led scoring with 14 points to go with 11 rebounds.

For Seton Hall, they now move their attention to arguably the most anticipated game of the season. A matchup on Tuesday against the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines, is a re-match of the 1989 National Championship that saw Michigan defeat the Pirates on a controversial foul call.

WSOU will have all the coverage you need for that long-anticipated rematch, as Jorie Mickens and Heaven Hill will have the call Tuesday night on 89.5 WSOU FM. Be sure to tune in at 8:30 to hear pre-game coverage from Michael Daly and Wilnir Louis, who will also host Hall Line postgame.

Joe Matthews is an Assistant Sports Director for WSOU Sports and can be reached at joseph.matthews@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports, WSOU

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