New York, N.Y. — Despite a valiant effort in the second half, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team fell short against a sharp-shooting St. John’s, succumbing to a 91-72 defeat in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on Thursday afternoon.
Al-Amir Dawes, hailing from Newark, N.J., showcased his scoring prowess, leading all scorers with 22 points on an impressive 9-of-15 shooting performance. Dylan Addae-Wusu from Bronx, N.Y., and Kadary Richmond representing Brooklyn, N.Y., also contributed double-digit scoring outputs.
“In our minds it was just the beginning, because March is what it’s all about in college basketball,” Pitino said Thursday. “We told the guys you got to play your best basketball going into March.”
The Johnnies will be making their first Big East semifinal appearance since 2000 — which was also the last time they won the tournament.
Here’s a breakdown of how the game unfolded:
The initial ten minutes saw both teams in a tight battle. Seton Hall briefly held a five-point lead following a three-pointer by Dawes at the 16:02 mark, making it 13-8. However, St. John’s countered with a strong 13-3 run, flipping a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead, 31-24.
Despite trailing by eight points, 39-31, with 4:20 remaining in the first half, Seton Hall mounted a comeback. Dawes nailed Seton Hall’s seventh three-pointer of the half, and Richmond added four consecutive points to narrow the gap to just one, 39-38. However, St. John’s closed out the half with a flurry, scoring the final four points to enter halftime with a 45-40 lead.
The second half began ominously for Seton Hall as St. John’s embarked on an 11-3 run, extending their lead to 13 points, 56-43, at the 15:28 mark. Despite the deficit, Seton Hall continued to fight back. Trailing 61-47 with just over 12 minutes remaining, Richmond’s steal led to an Addae-Wusu fastbreak layup, igniting a 7-0 run that trimmed the margin to seven, 61-54. However, St. John’s responded with a crucial three-pointer, restoring their lead to double digits, 64-54.
The Hall made another push, embarking on a 9-2 run capped off by a Davis dunk, bringing the score to 75-67 with less than ten minutes remaining. However, that would be as close as they would get, as St. John’s maintained control down the stretch, securing a 91-72 victory.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, man,” said St. John’s center Joel Soriano, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds. “Everybody that I’ve known from St. John’s and coaches —- Coach P even said, he said, ‘Playing Friday night at Madison Square Garden, there’s no better feeling, there’s no other tournament bigger than the Big East Tournament.’”
