Seton Hall University
NJIT
Pirates Roll to Third Straight Win
12/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2013
NEWARK, N.J. - For the third consecutive game, four Pirates scored in double-figures as the Seton Hall men's basketball team cruised past the visiting NJIT Highlanders, 71-55, at the Prudential Center on Tuesday night.
Junior forward Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) matched a career-high with seven field goals and led all scorers with 18 points to go with three rebounds and three assists. The 6-foot-9 Mobley also swatted a game-high three shots as Seton Hall (7-3) equaled a season-high with six blocks as a team.
Mobley was one half of a dominant frontcourt duo as center Gene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) notched his third-straight double-double, posting 11 points and 14 rebounds in 28 minutes. Mobley and Teague were huge factors throughout as the pair of big men combined to shoot 8-for-11 from inside the arc as The Hall had its way inside and ended the night with a 26-to-16 advantage in points in the paint.
Making his third consecutive start, freshman Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) delivered the best performance of his young collegiate career, knocking down 5-of-6 from the field including 3-of-4 from downtown en route to a career-high 17 points in a team-high 35 minutes. Sina also dished out four assists against just one turnover, giving him 13 assists and only four giveaways in the last three games. Backcourt mate Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) added 16 points, his third-straight game of 16 points or more.
After the Pirates took a 31-28 lead into the locker room, Gibbs, Mobley, Sina and Teague keyed a second half outburst that saw The Hall score 12 of the first 14 points in the period. Seton Hall advantage hovered around 10 points for the first 12 minutes of the half and two Sina free throws at the 7:34 mark put the score at 53-42. An ensuing 6-0 stretch for the Highlanders brought the visitors back to within five but Mobley found Teague down low for a dunk to end the run and NJIT would draw no closer.
In all, the four Pirates in double-figures accounted for 36 of the team's 40 second half points as Seton Hall secured its third win in a row and its fifth in as many all-time matchups with their crosstown rivals. Senior center Aaron Geramipoor (Manchester, England) contributed two key second half buckets and converted on all three of his field goal attempts, ending the night with a career-high six points to go with two boards and a blocked shot.
Despite the lopsided final score the Highlanders controlled the scoreboard at the outset; hitting their first four field goals to jump out to an early 11-4 lead. After a Seton Hall timeout, the Pirates scored five unanswered points to pull within two at the 15:35 mark of the half, but even as NJIT misfired on its six-straight attempts, The Hall did not close the gap further. Back-to-back treys by reserve Nigel Syndor put the visitors back on top, 17-9, where they stayed until Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.) helped Seton Hall bust a Highlanders zone that was disruptive early on with his first 3-pointer of the night.
The bucket started a 9-2 run by the Pirates that was capped by a Mobley layup with 7:05 to go before the break and brought them back to within one at 19-18. NJIT scored on its next two possessions, but each time Mobley had the answer for The Hall, ultimately leveling the score at 23-23. An old-fashioned three-point play from Gibbs on the next trip down gave Seton Hall its first lead of the game and one it never relinquished.
For the game, the Pirates out-rebounded the Highlanders by nine (34-to-25) and scored eight more points from the foul line as Gibbs went 8-for-9 from the stripe to equal NJIT's total team output. Gibbs has now knocked down at least eight free-throws in five of 10 games this season, four of which have been Seton Hall victories.
After recording three wins in a demanding six-day stretch, The Hall will next take the floor on Saturday when Saint Peter's visits The Rock. A matinee tip-off is scheduled for Noon and the contest can be viewed live on nationally on the FOX Sports Network and will be carried locally by the YES Network. A radio broadcast will be available on 970 AM and through SHUPirates.com.
