Seton Hall University
Saint Peter's
Big Second Half Helps MBB Down SPU
11/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NEWARK, N.J. - The Seton Hall men's basketball team shot 68.0% from the floor in the second half to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a 15-point victory, 76-61, over visiting Saint Peter's in a matinee Jersey showdown.
The Pirates improved to 5-1 on the young season with their 17th consecutive victory over the Peacocks. Thirteen of those wins have come by a double-digit margin.
Junior swingman Fuquan Edwin (Paterson, N.J.) shot 10-for-14 from the floor and scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half, eclipsing the 20-point mark for the third time this year. Gene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) tallied 20 points and controlled the boards with a game-high 11 rebounds.
For the second consecutive meeting, the Peacocks took a one-point advantage into halftime, as SHU shot just 15.4 percent from downtown (2-for-13) and 35.7 percent from the field (10-for-28) in the first period. Seton Hall, controlled the paint however, outrebounding the visitors 21-12 overall and 8-3 on the offensive glass, resulting in a 7-2 edge in second-chance points.
Freshman Tom Maayan (Galil, Israel) recorded three steals in the first two and a half minutes of the contest, helping the Pirates to an early 4-2 lead. SPU responded by reeling off nine unanswered points, a run bookended by buckets from Darius Conley. With 11:47 remaining, sophomore Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) found classmate Aaron Cosby (Louisville, Ky.) in rhythm with a pass out of the post for the first of his two three-pointers in the half, pulling Seton Hall to within five at 14-9. Following another Cosby trey, Teague converted old-fashioned three-point plays on consecutive possessions to cap a 14-2 run that gave The Hall a 20-16 advantage with 8:10 remaining before the break.
Teague and Edwin combined to score the team's final nine points of the half, but a game Saint Peter's squad kept pace. A three-pointer from Elias Desport in the final minute put the Peacocks back on top, 30-29, heading into the locker room.
As has been the case through the first six games of the 2012-13 season, and perhaps a testament to the team's ability to make in-game adjustments, the Pirates seized control of the game in the closing period. Edwin kick-started the half with another three-point play which was followed by a long-range connection from Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.) to put SHU ahead 35-32. SPU recorded six straight points to take a 38-35 lead with 17:06 remaining, but behind a balanced attack, Seton Hall notched 17 of the game's next 22 points, moving in front 52-43 on an Edwin three-pointer at the 12:37 mark.
The Peacocks never recovered, as The Hall hit four more three-pointers in the period, building a lead as large as 20-points on their way to victory.
After the rough start, the Pirates rebounded with torrid shooting in the second frame. SHU converted at a 68.0 percent clip from the field (17-of-25) and 60 percent (6-of-10) from behind the arc, both season best marks for a single half.
The Pirates are now averaging over 42 points and outscoring opponents by almost 17 points in the second half of games.
SHU was also received a boost from the charity stripe, converting on 14-of 16 attempts (87.5 percent) and outmuscled the Peacocks (3-2) around the basket, finishing with a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint.
Conley and Blaise Ffrench both finished with 14 points to lead SPU but the Pirates held the Peacocks' leading scorer, Desi Washington, to just six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
The Pirates will return to action on Thursday, November 29 when they travel to Baton Rouge, La. to face LSU as part of the 2012 SEC/BIG EAST Challenge. Game time is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET and will be carried live by ESPNU.
