Newark, NJ—After winning two games convincingly, Seton Hall faced its biggest test early in their season against midwest foe Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes was just a little too much and accurate from outside the arc, draining threes on a regular. The Pirates didn’t have an answer for the Hawkeyes perimeter’s game.
Iowa (3-0) beat Seton Hall (2-1) 82-67 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in front of an announced crowd of 8,933 at the Gavitt Tipoff Games.
Kris Murray led the Hawkeyes scoring 29 points and Filip Rebraca chipped in 10 points, 11 boards, and four blocks. Murray was a thorn in the Pirates side all game long. Seton Hall couldn’t do anything with Murray on the wings or on the blocks.
The Hawkeyes and Pirates have previously met twice before. Iowa beat Seton Hall 85-63 on Dec.29 1982 in the Rochester Classic in Rochester, New York, while the Pirates defeated Iowa 91-83 on Nov. 17, 2016, in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes made a fashion statement donning equality enamored on the back of their black and gold uniform jerseys.
Holloway is the first Seton Hall coach since Tommy Amaker in 1997-98 to win his first two games as a head coach but it was short lived.
Seton Hall came out the gate and jumped on the Hawkeyes with a 5-0 lead. After a few substitutions by the Pirates, the Hawkeyes went on a run 8-0 and went up 32-20 at the 1:19 mark and closed the half out with a 34-22 lead. Murray led the way with 16 points at the break.
In the first half, Seton Hall shot a dismal 20% (6-30) from the court and 30% (3-10) from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 11 times.
Connor McCaffey was Murray wing man in the second half, he sank a wide open 3-pointer from the left wing off a pass from Ahron Ulis, to extend the Hawkeyes’ lead to 70-59. Seton Hall didn’t get closer than nine points the rest of the game.
Dre Davis scored 13 points for the Pirates. Kadary Richmond and Jamir Harris each had 11 points apiece.
“It is a learning experience and we are still getting to know each other. We are going to watch film and go from there.” Tyrese Samuel said.
Up Next:
Seton Hall will play on Sunday at the Rock, November 20 and take on Wagner at 3:00 P.M. on FS1.
