3 Things About Sunday's Non-Conference Finale at The Rock

2019-20 Seton Hall Men's Basketball Non-Conference Game Seton Hall Pirates (7-4, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Prairie View A&M (3-8, 0-0 SWAC)
Date/Time/Location	Sunday, Dec. 22 \| 4:30 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOXSportsGO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Prairie View A&M
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Instagram

What did we say in this space before the Maryland game?

It would be foolish to write this group off mid-December.

There sure were a lot of fools, but we're not concerned with them right now. We're concerned with Seton Hall finishing the non-conference season strong and that means handling business Sunday against Prairie View A&M without letting the emotions of Thursday's big win hang over. The Pirates have an opportunity to go into Christmas break with an 8-4 mark that would include two "Quad One" wins and no real bad losses (no, losing at your rival school with a top-60 KenPom rating is not a bad loss).

Side note: This is only Seton Hall's sixth home game of the season so far. Only Villanova has played fewer home games among the 10 BIG EAST schools. St. John's leads the league with 10 home games.

For the fans coming to Sunday's game, be sure to stop by and grab a photo with Pirate Santa up on the concourse or wear an ugly Christmas sweater and maybe we'll feature it on the @SetonHallMBB Twitter account.

Sunday's game will air on FS1 with Brian Custer and Jim Spanarkel on the call. Spreaders of great holiday cheer, Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin, are your radio team on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on the Pirate Sports Network.

Three Things to Know About Sunday's Game vs. Prairie View A&M

1. Continue the Defensive Assault
Seton Hall blocked 15 Maryland shot attempts last Thursday, and the Terrapins only made 14 field goals the entire night. It was elite level defense that got the Pirates the win, and they're very capable of doing it again Sunday. The Pirates have always been at their best when they're stringing together multiple stops, so let's not let the foot off the gas. Keep the pressure up.

2. Get to the Foul Line
Sure, you'll say, "But Seton Hall is only 68 percent from the free throw line this year," but we'll say, it doesn't matter. Prairie View A&M is averaging 22.8 fouls per game. That's a lot of whistles, and to us, that means a lot of opportunities for points without defense. Quincy McKnight, who is fourth in the BIG EAST in free throw shooting at 85.3 percent, should be eyeing that lane big time.

3. Stay Focused
Christmas break is almost here, but the Pirates should stay laser focused. Prairie View A&M, which was in the NCAA Tournament last season, is a well-coached team that has four-point losses to UCF and Cal, a three-point loss to Arizona State and a win over Texas-Arlington. The Panthers can be dangerous.