WSOU

Recap: Pirates Struggle to Stop Murray in 83-67 Loss to Hawkeyes

Date: November 17, 2022

By: Spencer Gonzales

Dre Davis flexes after making a big play Wednesday night.

Kayla Fonseca/WSOU

The Seton Hall Pirates (2-1) faced their first real challenge of the season on Wednesday when they took on the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0), and were defeated 83-67.

Coming into this matchup, both teams were riding high off of wins against much smaller programs. Seton Hall had most recently taken down Saint Peter’s and Iowa crushed North Carolina A&T, so each squad was chomping at the bit for some real Power Six action.

The Pirates started the game off fast and physical, hitting a couple of early threes as well as punching the ball down low to Tyrese Samuel to take an early 10-2 lead on the Hawkeyes.

They were playing great team basketball and looked to have the upper hand against the visiting Iowa squad, but The Hall’s fantastic gameplan would soon come apart at the seams.

Missed lay-ins and mid-range jumpers were killers for the Pirates, as the Hawkeyes crept their way back into the game and took the lead with 11:25 remaining in the first half.

Junior Kris Murray was the main reason for Iowa’s offensive efficiency, as he netted 12 points in the first nine minutes and would finish with 29.

With just over 10 to go in the first, Seton Hall was shooting 24 percent from the field, and would finish the half shooting an abysmal 20 percent. They were held scoreless for six minutes and 46 seconds in the middle of the half, and then went on another three minute and seven second scoring drought to end the first period.

Iowa wasn’t faring much better from the floor either, boasting a weak 33 percent FG average. They were however winning the turnover battle 10-3, and stayed out of foul trouble, something the Pirates couldn’t seem to manage, as they had 11 personal fouls in the first half alone.

Heading into halftime, Iowa held a 34-22 lead over The Hall, but the Pirates seemed to be more than prepared at the start of the second half. After a quick Tony Perkins turnover and Jamir Harris layup, The Hall would go on a 6-0 scoring run on the Hawkeyes to get back into the game.

As mentioned before, fouls were a huge factor in the Pirates loss, and it was what would destroy the momentum they had created. Tyrese Samuel picked up his third foul early in the second, which forced coach Holloway to sit him for much of the half despite his excellent defensive play.

Without Samuel in, Seton Hall was lost on defense, allowing Patrick McCaffery and Perkins to have their way in the paint. McCaffery would finish with 11 points and five rebounds while Perkins put up 18 points and five assists.

The Hall was caught playing from behind all half, and even after a chain of scores here and there, Iowa always seemed to have an answer. The Pirates managed to pull within five a couple of times, but the Hawkeyes pushed them back with ease, making a final score of 83-67.

Guard Dre Davis had an efficient night for the pirates, scoring 13 on 50 percent shooting, and Tyrese Samuel managed to produce in his limited minutes, scoring nine and bringing down eight boards.

It was a rough night for Seton Hall, but in his post-game press conference, Jamir Harris shared that coach Holloway’s final message to the team was, “No L’s, only Lessons.”

The Pirates will have to use this loss as a lesson in their next matchup against the Wagner Seahawks on Sunday, a game that could help The Hall bounce back before a showdown with the Memphis Tigers in Orlando, FLA.

The game against the Seahawks will be presented on Seton Hall’s very own WSOU 89.5 FM at 3 p.m., where Mike Bellifemini and Brian Henderson will have the call.

Spencer Gonzales is the Sports Web Editor and an Assistant Sports Manager at WSOU and can be reached at spencer.gonzales@student.shu.edu.

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