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Recap: Seton Hall falls in semifinals to Georgetown, 66-58

Date: March 12, 2021

By: Dylan Camp

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Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports

Friday night Seton Hall fell in the Big East Tournament Semifinals to the Georgetown Hoyas by a final score of 66-58. A heartbreaking loss for the Pirates as they saw the game slip away in the final two minutes after it was tied 57-57. Georgetown closed the game on a 9-1 run in the final minutes, securing their advancement to the Big East Final.

 

Seton Hall trailed by as many as eleven points in the first half before closing out the half on a strong 11-3 run to cut the lead to 36-34 heading into the locker room. Georgetown maintained their thin lead throughout a large portion of the second half before the Pirates were finally able to take a one-point lead at the 6:20 mark. The Hall took a 53-52 lead which was their first since Jared Rhoden’s game

opening basket. That lead did not last very long for the Pirates however, the teams exchanged baskets over several minutes and the score was tied at 57 with just under two minutes remaining.

 

From that point forward it was the Hoyas’ poise at the free throw line that sealed their win. Over the final two minutes Georgetown scored nine points, seven of which came from the foul line as they went seven of eight to help close out the game. Free throws were a crucial point of this game and a large contributor to Georgetown’s success and eventual victory. The Hoyas shot over 70% from the line on 25 attempts (18 of 25), while Seton Hall shot less than 50% on their measly 11 attempts (five of 11).

In the post-game press conference head coach Kevin Willard had a lot to say about free throws. When asked about what allowed the Hoya’s to pull away late Willard emphasized the Pirates poor free throw shooting and compared it to the Hoya’s

success at the line. Coach Willard also hinted at slight displeasure with the officiating specifically in terms of Sandro Mamukelashvili. He referenced Mamu dealing with a lot of contact in the paint and getting very little to show for it as he only had three shots from the line all night.

 

Mamukelashvili had a tough night all around shooting just three of 16 from the floor and one of three from the line for a total of eight points. Quite the fall off for Mamu following a 20-point double-double the day prior. The senior leader of the Pirates just could not get his game going and instead it was next year’s leader Jared Rhoden leading the charge. Rhoden put up a game high 22 points and played a huge part in keeping the Pirates in the game. His heroics were not enough however as he was the only Pirate in double figures and the lack of scoring elsewhere lead to the Pirates demise.

Unfortunately for Pirates fans, this was likely the last game of the season for Seton Hall men’s basketball. After this loss, the Hall has a very long shot to make the NCAA Tournament, but I cannot emphasize enough how slim those odds are. The next best option is usually the NIT, but the Pirates seemed wary about the thought of the NIT following the game.

 

Both Rhoden and coach Willard were asked about the NIT after the game. Rhoden declined to comment but coach said “I am not 100% sure, but I am leaning towards not playing. I likely would not play Sandro in the NIT tournament if we do go.”

 

Willard clarified by stating he was unsure if it was the right decision for the team and specifically the seniors after a long and taxing season physically and emotionally. More travel and hotel isolation were mentioned specifically as cons to taking the trip down to Texas where the NIT will be played this season. The loss to Georgetown is probably the last time Seton Hall will play until the fall and is in all likelihood the last time Mamukelashvili will play in a Pirates uniform.

Dylan Camp can be reached at dylan.camp@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports

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