The Seton Hall Pirates snapped their two-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon with an 86-70 victory over the DePaul Blue Demons at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill.
Myles Powell got started early and continued to make key plays throughout the contest. His three-pointer in transition with 7:32 remaining stopped DePaul from cutting the lead any smaller than eight, as the Blue Demons never held a lead throughout the game. Powell finished with a game-high 21 points, four of which came from deep.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
Powell served not only as the leader in points but as a trailblazer from beyond the arc. His four threes were crucial in the team’s strong shooting clip from deep, as the Hall converted on 50 percent of their 16 attempts from three.
History was made in the opening two minutes of the game, as Angel Delgado’s first and second rebound helped him tie and pass Derrick Coleman of Syracuse for most all-time Big East rebounds. Delgado posted his 15th double-double of the season and 65th of his career, with 10 points and 19 rebounds.
Desi Rodriguez, meanwhile, posted 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists, as his outlet pass to Powell led to the three that ended the brief period in the second half in which DePaul had narrowed the lead to single-digits.
Despite the strong efforts from its starters, Seton Hall maintained their lead with a strong bench effort. The Pirates totaled 19 bench points, including 8 points from Michael Nzei, 5 points from Eron Gordon, and 3 points each from Myles Cale and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
However, a strong team effort could not hide that Seton Hall was exposed defensively, both in the half-court and in transition. The Pirates coughed up 12 turnovers – compared to only nine for DePaul – with those turnovers resulting in 15 points for the Blue Demons. Despite forcing those nine turnovers, the Hall were limited to only four points in transition.
Seton Hall used a variety of advantages to take control early and keep control throughout, with perhaps the most surprising method being their free-throw shooting. Seton Hall converted on 18-of-22 attempts from the free-throw line, good for an 82 percent mark that is uncharacteristic, considering their 67 percent average on the season.
After losing three of their last four, the win moves Seton Hall to a 16-5 record on the season and 5-3 in the Big East. DePaul drops to 9-12 on the season and 2-7 in the conference. Only the St. John’s Red Storm – who are without a conference win – are below the Blue Demons.
The Pirates will look to carry their momentum home when they host the Providence Friars, with a 5-3 Big East record, for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Jan. 31.
Kyle Kasharian can be reached at kyle.kasharian@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @itskylekash.
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