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The Pirates, facing a tough road test in their Big East opener in Omaha against No. 10 Creighton, fell 89-75 on Wednesday night.
The Bluejays’ fast-paced offense, led by point guard Maurice Watson Jr., proved to be too much for the Pirates defense to handle. Watson Jr. tallied a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists, while Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas each totaled 17 points.
Khadeen Carrington shined bright on offense for the Pirates yet again, as he finished with 27 points on 8-11 shooting from the field. Additionally, he became the 41st player in Seton Hall history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Desi Rodriguez had one of his best shooting nights as a Pirate from behind the arc, connecting on five of his six attempts from deep to help him finish with 24 points, one point off his season-high.
The Pirates kept things close throughout the beginning of the first half. It wasn’t until Angel Delgado picked up his second foul and was sent to the bench that the Bluejay offense began to click. The Pirates struggled without their rim protector on the floor, allowing Creighton to take a 50-37 lead into halftime.
The Pirates came out in the second half with a renewed sense of urgency, scoring 10 of the first 13 points of the half to cut the Creighton lead to four. That was as close as the Pirates would get, as foul trouble and fluid offensive sets gave Creighton the 14-point victory.
The effectiveness of the fast paced nature of the Creighton offense was strengthened by their 57 percent shooting from the field and committing only 10 turnovers. Creighton also took advantage of Seton Hall’s offensive miscues, scoring 27 points off of 18 Pirate giveaways.
The loss snapped a 21-game winning streak Seton Hall held when Delgado posted a double-double. The big man finished the night 10 points and 10 boards.
The Pirates will travel back home for a New Year’s Day matchup with the Marquette Golden Eagles on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.
Matt Ambrose can be reached at matthew.ambrose1@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @mambrose97.
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