Pirates rally from way back
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Raw video: Seton Hall flagman does 19 laps vs. Creighton
Raw video: Seton Hall flagman does 19 laps vs. Creighton
ELMONT, N.Y. – Kadary Richmond drove to the rim and got knocked to the floor. He was whistled for an offensive foul.
The play was part of a cascade of events that left Seton Hall basketball in a huge hole late in the first half at St. John’s Sunday.
It also sparked a spectacular turnaround.
Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway exploded at the officials, earning his first technical foul of the season. When the smoke cleared, the Pirates trailed by 19 points.
They dominated the rest of the way, posting a 68-62 triumph and taking a huge step toward securing an NCAA Tournament berth.
“I was able to get their attention with the tech — something I don’t want to do, that’s awful,” Holloway said. “I don’t like to get techs, but sometimes you’ve gotta get it to show a team that you’re fighting for them. I thought after that, the game turned around for us.”
The tech was assessed by Evon Burroughs – the same official who threatened to expel members of Seton Hall’s student section against Creighton last month. Holloway spent much of the ensuing timeout pleading Richmond’s case, which did not go unnoticed by his star point guard.
“It just shows you how much he’s with us, even when the score is lopsided, even when things aren’t going our way, just working the referees,” Richmond said. “That’s where I felt like the game flipped.”
Not only did Seton Hall finish the half on a 10-3 run; the Pirates made a parade to the free-throw line the rest of the game.
“It shows he cares about us,” postgrad guard Al-Amir Dawes said. “The passion he has for us, it feels like he’s out there with us, and that’s the most important thing when you have a coach that’s fighting for you like that.”
The Pirates have fought their way to 17-9 overall and 10-5 in the Big East, remaining tied for third place. Most important, this marked their fifth Quad 1 victory – the top factor in the postseason resume.
They’ve now beaten St. John’s (14-12, 6-9) four straight times and in nine of the past 11 meetings.
This was Seton Hall’s biggest comeback since rallying from 19 down at Penn State in 2020 – a game played before no fans in the COVID season. It’s the largest deficit they’ve surmounted in Big East action since roaring back from 20 down to St. John’s at home in 2006 – a game notable for Paul Gause scoring in the wrong bucket to give the Johnnies two points, then sinking a last-second floater to force overtime.
This was only slightly less dramatic. Richmond tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds and Dawes scored 19 to lead the charge. St. John’s scored just 21 points and shot 24 percent after the break as Seton Hall broke their will.
“They were the epitome of toughness in the second half,” Johnnies coach Rick Pitino said.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
1. Dre Davis toughed it out
It wasn’t quite Willis Reed limping onto the…
Read More: Pirates rally from way back 2024-02-19 02:38:28