Seton Hall’s men’s basketball program lost by single digits for the ninth time, a 73-66 defeat at the hands of the Xavier Musketeers. The Pirates trailed by as many as 21 points early in the second half and fought back to within three in the final minute before Xavier closed the door. Although Seton Hall limited Bergen Catholic product Zach Freemantle to just 11 points, including two in the first half, he finished with a game-high seven rebounds.
Ryan Conwell did the offensive heavy lifting for Xavier, as he finished the first half with 15 points and recorded the eventual winning basket, a three-pointer after the Pirates cut the lead to 65-62.The ensuing press conference reflected head coach Shaheen Holloway’s frustration about being a “second half team.” “We continued to dig ourselves into a hole. That’s what we’ve been doing all year,” Holloway said of the first half. The Pirates actually led the game 15-14 at the midway point of said first half, but Xavier closed it on a 26-6 run that may ultimately have been the deciding point.
Isaiah Coleman finished with a game-high 24 points, and Prince Aligbe joined him in double figures with 11. Despite going to the line 15 times less than the Musketeers did, the Pirates helped tighten the score by shooting 89% from the line.In spite of the outcome, Holloway did offer a glimmer of hope for his squad.
“I’m not a moral victory guy, but I’m just proud of them,” Holloway said of the second half comeback.
The Pirates committed a rarity in winning the turnover battle 18-14, but still allowing more points off turnovers than they scored off them (20-13 Xavier).Holloway attributed the loss in part due to several missed layups, although also praised his team’s ability to drive to the basket in the second half.“ No disrespect to those guys, but we should be able to drive more against that team. ”In doing so, the Pirates won the battle of offensive rebounds, but lost the war of total rebounds.
The Pirates hope to continue their second half momentum at home against Villanova on Wednesday.
