In an exciting Big East showdown on Wednesday, Feb. 26, Seton Hall Pirates battled until the final buzzer, as the Villanova Wildcats pulled off an unbelievable comeback to defeat them, 59-54, at the Prudential Center.
Seton Hall held a comfortable 33-21 lead at halftime and extended their lead to 16 points early in the second half. But Villanova responded with a powerful comeback as they capitalized on the Pirates’ stalled offense, going on a 17-0 run to cut the deficit and eventually secure the win.
Despite their defeat, senior guard Dylan Addae-Wusu put up a great performance for the Pirates as he tallied 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. There was also Prince Aligbe, who added 10 points and nine rebounds. The Pirates, however, managed to score just 21 points in the second half compared to Villanova’s 38.
Down by as many as 16 points in the second half, Villanova rallied behind senior forward Eric Dixon, whose performance made the difference in the Wildcats’ win. He posted 25 of his game-high 32 points in the second half alone and added 10 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season.
Seton Hall managed to score just 21 points in the second half, as they shot an ineffective 24% (7-29) from the field. They also failed to capitalize on free-throw opportunities, making just eight of their 17 attempts (47%).
"It's concentration, [and a] lack of focus," said Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway about the Pirates’ free-throw shooting effort. "That's the difference, right? We go 8-for-17 and they go 18-for-22."
The momentum of the game shifted with Villanova's scorching 17-0 burst that turned a double-digit deficit into the lead. Despite a strong performance from Addae-Wusu, Seton Hall could not regain control of the game.
"We used up gas," said Coach Holloway. "It's tough when you don't have a bunch of guards. Those guys needed to be able to press and be able to defend it. Then you start to get a little gassed and you don't have much of a bench."
In their next game, the Pirates head to New York to face St. John's in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Mar. 1.
Grace Tylee is the assistant editor for The Setonian’s Sports section. She can be reached at grace.tylee@student.shu.edu.
