Seton Hall Pirates 73 @ DePaul Blue Demons 72

It was only in the closing seconds that the Seton Hall Pirates (11-2) were able to close the near-loss to the DePaul Blue Demons (9-4) away at the Allstate Arena.  Point Guard Aaron Cosby was the pirate to be this game, notching 24 points, 12 from beyond the arc.  He replaced an underperforming Fuquan Edwin who was held to just 11 points with only one three-pointer.  Edwin, a player known for his capabilities from long range, managed to drop only one three-ball in four attempts.  However, it was Edwin’s layup with 6.9 seconds left that gave the Pirates a one-point lead.  They would refuse to give up a point in the closing seconds.  Also big for the Pirates was Brandon Mobley who scored 16 and collected 10 boards. 

The Pirates entered their first Big East game with a close win.  The game was between two teams of seemingly equal caliber.  Both teams shoot 45% from the floor, and between 65%-70% from the foul line.  However, what makes Seton Hall different from most teams is their ability to convert from three.  They shoot 37% from the arc, compared to DePaul’s 29%.  Fuquan Edwin and Brandon Mobley on the season have been consistently hitting half of their shots from three, making them lethal against any defense.  Together, they shot 4-8, matching their season averages. One stat line that often goes unnoticed during the game is turnovers.  That is one that will prove crucial during many of The Hall’s important games in Big East play.  Seton Hall managed to turn the ball over twenty times to DePaul’s 12.  Seton Hall averaged a turnover every two minutes over the course of the game.  That kind of carelessness can and will determine the outcome of games.  With Edwin constantly getting in foul trouble, more players, including freshman guard, Tom Maayan, rarely get breaks.  He is just careless with the ball, but as a freshman, there is plenty of room for improvement.  Given his six turnovers in 22 minutes, he should spend less time at the point.  However, playing with only a seven-man roster (two substitutes), Maayan spent more time on the court than he really ever should have.  Foul trouble is also on the radar.  Given their shortage of players, you might expect the defense to be a little less aggressive to conserve energy. Wrong.  Three players for Seton Hall recorded four fouls each: Fuquan Edwin, Eugene Teague, and Kyle Smyth.  With a center, forward, and guard all in trouble, the only hope was to just hope someone didn’t foul out.  The Pirates do expect to have center Kevin Johnson back for the next game, adding to their depth.

Room for improvement:

·      Fouls

·      Consistency from three-point range

·      Roster Depth

·      TURNOVERS

Overall, a close win for Seton Hall, led by an automatic Aaron Cosby.  Seton Hall moves to 12-2 on the season and 1-0 in the Big East.  Later this week, The Hall goes to South Bend to face the #23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. (12-1 0-0 Big East)

Aaron Cosby led the Pirates with 24 points against the DePaul Blue Demons

More information at: http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=330020305