Seton Hall Advances To Second Round Of NCAA Tournament

Expectations were high for the Seton Hall Pirates going into their matchup with NC State in the NCAA Tournament. Many pundits had the Pirates winning which would have set up a meeting with number one seed Kansas. The second round was the one everyone looked at as a game Seton Hall could win. Before all of that, Seton Hall had to beat NC State.

In a high-scoring affair, Seton Hall outlasted NC State, 94-83, in their first-round game in Wichita, Kansas. Khadeen Carrington scored 26 points to lead the Pirates, who will advance out of the first round for the time in three years. They now move on to face top-seeded Kansas on Saturday in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament.

For the three seniors of Seton Hall (Carrington, Angel Delgado, and Desi Rodriguez) how they played would be the story of the game. To their credit, they were ready for the challenges as the three combined for 59 points. Delgado was just one rebound shy of yet another triple-double as the Pirates won the rebound battle 40-34.

“These guys have been unbelievable,” said Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard. “For them to get a hard-fought win in the tournament, I think it takes the pressure off them. It just shows their toughness. It’s what they’ve done ever since they came to Seton Hall.”

Offensively Seton Hall may have had the best shooting they have had all season. The Pirates shot 48 percent from the field and 79 percent from the foul line. For the season Seton Hall shot just 65 percent from the charity stripe, which had been an issue for the team all season. The other telling stat was how Seton Hall took care of the ball. They committed just seven turnovers, which led to full possessions and good shots.

Defensively will be a point of emphasis for the Pirates and Coach Willard. NC State shot 45 percent from the field. One of the issues that hampered that Pirates all season were defensive lapses throughout the game, and it once again reared its ugly head. In the middle of both the first and second half, NC State made runs to cut Seton Hall’s double-digit leads in each half. Even with the lapses, Seton Hall was able to recover and regain their footing. Against Kansas, Seton Hall may not be as fortunate if it happens on Saturday.

Myles Powell finished with 19 points for Seton Hall while Ismael Sanogo ended with 10 points and ten rebounds.

Allerik Freeman led NC State with a game-high 36 points, which included six three-pointers.

“Our main focus was staying focused. I know that sounds funny,” Carrington said, “but the last two years we came here, the guys were kind of drained mentally. We couldn’t get over the hump. Guys came in real focused, real businesslike, and we’re not done yet.”

What’s Next For Seton Hall

The Pirates move into the second round to face Kansas on Saturday in Wichita.

Stay with Double G Sports for continued coverage of the Seton Hall’s run through the NCAA Tournament.