Prudential Center-Seton Hall is off to their best start since the 2017-2018 season when they began 9-1 to open their season. They look like a whole different team with defensive technician Myles Cale on the hardwood.Is Seton Hall (8-1) worthy of their 23 ranking in the ESPN College Poll? After this game and how the Pirates shut down the Longhorns in the second half, there shouldn’t be any questions.
Jared Rhoden scored 18 points and 5 boards, Alexis Yetna chipped in 12 points with 10 rebounds, helping No. 23 Seton Hall to an 64-60 victory over No. 7 Texas on Thursday night at the Prudential Center in front of a crowd of 10,481.
Seton Hall are now 2-2 all-time versus the Longhorns with its lone victory coming on Dec. 30, 1969 at the Hurricane Classic in Miami (56-55).
With the Win, Pirates head coach Kevin Williard ties P.J. Carlesimo record for wins with 212 on the Hall’s all-time wins list.
Coach Kevin Williard is 4-3 all-time against current Big 12 programs and 2-0 against Chris Beard.
Seton Hall’s 67-65 over Michigan was the program’s 10th win over an Associated Press top-five ranked team and their first-ever victory on the road against a non-conference foe.
Seton Hall raced out to an early 14-6 lead, the Longhorns fought their way back into the contest, forward Tre Mitchel gave the Pirates problems in the paint and his dominating play helped Texas to tie the game at 23 at the 8:06 mark. Alexis Yetna hit a deep 3 as the buzzer sounded to knot the contest 37-37 at halftime.
SHU held Texas (6-2) scoreless for 7:20 down the stretch and they shot 32.3% (10-31) from the floor. Their shooting woes was their achilles heel, they couldn’t hit shots in the second half when it counted.
The second half was very close to the end, neither team could extend the lead by more than five points. Jared Rhoden gave the Pirates the lead for good with a jumper with 5:30 on the clock to take a 58-56 lead.
Both teams couldn’t buy a bucket until Samuel hit a free throw with 1:40 left in the game. A layup by forward Timmy Allen got the Longhorns within a point but Bryce Aiken, who was (3-12) from the field, hit a long trey from the top of the key for a 62-58 lead with 34.3 seconds on the clock.
“We are always the underdog. At the time I didn’t think about it I just took the shot. I have all the confidence in me and my teammates. Aiken said after the game.”
After Allen’s layup trimmed the lead by two with 24 seconds to go, Aiken hit two more free throws with 14.4 seconds left and Texas missed its last couple of shots.
Tre Mitchell had season highs of 19 points and 11 boards for Texas, which had won five in a row.
UP NEXT:
Texas: Hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday night.
Seton Hall: Hosts New Jersey rival Rutgers on Sunday night.
