After dominating non-conference play, the UConn Huskies were handed a double-digit loss by the Seton Hall Pirates in the Prudential Center, 75-60.
To open up the game, UConn led 20-10 and nobody blinked an eye. After that point, Seton Hall controlled merely every aspect of the contest.
The Pirates figured out how to contain UConn’s Donovan Clingan, who eventually left the game with an injury and did not return. Dan Hurley told the media after the game that he has a sprained ankle.
Seton Hall’s Kadary Richmond had a dominant day on both ends, leading the game with 23 points, 5 assists, and 8 steals.
Takeaway #1: Shaheen Holloway executes a game plan that finally exposes a flaw in the Huskies
At this point, it is foolish to count out Shaheen Holloway in a game where his squad is a heavy underdog. Once again, he had a plan.
The Seton Hall Pirates went against Torvik’s 4th ranked offense in the nation, one that was shooting over 40% from beyond the arc on the season. In this game, the Huskies were held to just 4-for-21. In fact, when UConn’s offense was buzzing early, it was not because of perimeter shooting but rather feeding Clingan in the post.
Seton Hall quickly implemented a full-court press, which successfully disrupted UConn’s rhythm and allowed significantly less time to run half-court sets.
On the other end, the Pirates utilized their advantage, regarding length and athleticism in the backcourt. They consistently beat UConn guards off the bounce and got to the rim. Seton Hall finished with 46 points in the paint, and 14 from the line (accounting for a combined 80% of their team total), all while attempting just 8 three-pointers.
Takeaway #2: There is a night and day difference with Donovan Clingan on versus off the court
This is not to suggest that Clingan’s injury was the reason Seton Hall won; they were in control of the game previously. This is more to insist his absence is particularly problematic.
With Samson Johnson at center, UConn is a completely different team. As much as Clingan has been criticized for his limitations as a post-up big, the Huskies ran their offense through him when he was on the court tonight. Whether he took the one-on-one matchup or played inside out, merely every possession resulted in a paint touch. On the other hand, Johnson attempted just two field goals in 21 minutes. UConn was +7 overall with Clingan on the court, but -20 with Johnson.
Takeaway #3: This Seton Hall win can change the trajectory of the season
After the game, Holloway simply claimed “This is Big East basketball,” citing Providence’s upset win over Marquette Tuesday night. However, there is no understating how huge of a win this was for the Pirates.
Holloway’s first season was up-and-down and this year, they already have four losses under their belt. With the Big East shaping up to be an extremely tough league, especially at the top, it was perceived that Seton Hall had a mountain to climb.
Not only is this a stamp on the Seton Hall Pirates’ resume, but it also proves that they can compete with (and beat!) anybody in the conference. Time will tell whether they are consistent enough to make some more noise.
Uconn men waste way to much time dribbling the ball not enough time moving the ball around with quick hard passes.
[…] Seton Hall beat the Huskies by 15 points earlier in the season and they opened this contest with that same confidence. Their defense made it difficult for UConn to get good looks as they paid extra attention to Spencer, who didn’t get his first points until late in the contest. Things were looking good for the Pirates as they capped off a seven-point run to take an 18-14 point lead in the first half. […]