Newark, NJ—-Seton Hall staged a dramatic comeback to force overtime and ultimately defeat UConn 69-68 (17-9, 9-6 Big East Conference) in front of 10,222 fans at the Prudential Center on Saturday afternoon. The Pirates erased a seven-point deficit in the final 36 seconds of regulation, culminating in a game-winning steal and tip-in.
Scotty Middleton secured the victory for Seton Hall by tipping in his own missed shot, snapping the team’s nine-game losing streak. Isaiah Coleman led the Pirates (7-18, 2-12 BIG East ) with a game-high 23 points.
Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway emphasized the importance of starting games with intensity, but the Pirates struggled early. However, they found their rhythm in the second half and executed down the stretch to secure the win.
With six seconds remaining, Garwey Dual stripped the ball from UConn’s Solomon Ball, setting up Middleton’s decisive play. Seton Hall had led 25-22 at halftime and tightened up defensively in the second half.
Tarris Reed Jr.’s layup gave UConn a 68-63 lead with 59 seconds left, but Seton Hall responded. Godswill Erheriene sank two free throws with 48 seconds remaining, followed by two more from Coleman with nine seconds left, trimming the deficit to one.
Dylan Addae-Wusu then delivered in the clutch, draining a three-pointer with five seconds remaining to tie the game at 58 and force overtime after Ball missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.
Coleman contributed eight rebounds in addition to his 23 points, while Addae-Wusu added 13 points and Erheriene finished with 12.
For UConn, Karaban led the way with 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Ball tallied 15 points and seven rebounds, while Hassan Diarra chipped in 12 points, five assists, and two steals.
Coleman led the Pirates with 11 second-half points, and Erheriene contributed four points in overtime to help secure the win.
Up Next:
UConn will host Villanova on Tuesday, while Seton Hall will travel to face No. 18 Marquette.
