Seton Hall 73, Pittsburgh 66: The final analysis

NEWARK, N.J. – It came down to a very simple situation: Seton Hall made shots when they had to, Pitt did not. The Hall defeated the Panthers 73-66 at the Prudential Center on Sunday.

After building and losing a 12-point lead, the Pirates trailed 61-55 with eight minutes to play. In the stretch, they came up with a succession of clutch plays. The victory came on the heels of a road win at Rutgers and has revived talk of an NCAA bid for Seton Hall.

The pace and efficiency:

Herb Pope came up big for Seton Hall with a 19-point, 14-rebound outing. Aaron Cosby added 19 points and sparked a strong perimeter game for the Pirates. Cosby buried 5 of 9 beyond the arc as Seton Hall shot 10 of 23 (43.5%) from long range on the evening.

Jordan Theodore added 15 points, but his nine assists to one turnover for 35 minutes of work was bigger. Ashton Gibbs of Pitt led all scorers with 26 points. Outside of Gibbs, the Panthers’ only other double-digit scorer was Lamar Patterson with 17. The Pitt shot selection saw 32 percent of their attempts from three-point range. It’s a part of their game that didn’t sit well with coach Jamie Dixon, who preferred a more balanced offense with looks inside.

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard commended Pope and Theodore, noting, “it is important for seniors to come through for you.” Willard was also complimentary of the younger players, such as the freshman Cosby and Brandon Mobley, another first-year player. Mobley made several key defensive plays in the stretch. He adjusted and clogged the lane stopping penetration after Pitt executed a screen and roll that left Pope a step behind. On another possession he rejected a shot on the baseline. The 6-9 forward also tied up a Pitt player to force a jump ball in the Hall’s favor.  Finally, he intercepted a wing pass in the waning moments that all but sealed the verdict for the Pirates.

“We had a six point lead with the ball,” Dixon said. “Down the stretch they had guys in the right spot and made shots. We didn’t.”

Stat oddity: only two Seton Hall players attempted free throws, Pope (6-6) and Theodore (5-6). Seton Hall shot an impressive eFG percentage of  54%.

A few key offensive plays for Seton Hall stood out down the stretch. Theodore buried a three-pointer with just over five minutes left and the shot clock expiring. That shot gave the Hall a lead it would not lose. Theodore also executed a picture perfect pick and roll and Pope. Finally, Pope canned two free throws following an intentional foul against the Panthers, which came shortly after Mobley’s crucial late game steal.

Here is the “stat stuffing” performance of Pope was seen in his final Manley/NBA efficiency, an outstanding and game-leading 29.