Seton Hall entered Big East action with a sparkling record and the hope it could sneak into the top half of the league. But less than two weeks into conference play and a few injuries later, all those non-league wins seem more like a mirage.
The Pirates (12-5, 1-3) are only ahead of winless South Florida in the Big East after yesterday’s ugly 67-55 loss to previously winless in the conference Providence at Prudential Center in Newark. The news grew worse during head coach Kevin Willard’s post-game press conference when he announced starting forward Brandon Mobley dislocated his right shoulder in the first half, the same shoulder he needed surgery on last year.
“We’re a little beat down, but that’s still no excuse not to come out and compete, especially on the backboards,” Willard said, referring to Providence’s decided rebounding advantage. “I don’t think anybody wants to play that [power forward] spot. It seems like whoever goes in there, you’re going out on crutches.”
The Pirates already were without forwards Brian Oliver (sprained ankle) and Patrick Auda (broken foot) — Oliver is expected to return while Auda is out for the season — and reserve Kevin Johnson is battling a knee issue that has kept him out of practice. Willard said “it doesn’t look good” for Mobley.
“Its unfortunate for us right now,” said Seton Hall junior forward Fuquan Edwin, who scored a team-high 17 points.
The Friars (9-7, 1-3) entered with five straight losses, but they got healthy against Seton Hall, particularly Big East leading scorer Bryce Cotton, who poured in a game-high 23 points. LaDontae Hinton added 12 points and 13 rebounds.
It was Seton Hall’s third straight league loss by double figures, though the previous two defeats were against nationally ranked foes Louisville and Notre Dame.
Seton Hall never rebounded from a sluggish start. The Pirates committed 11 turnovers before recording an assist, trailed 22-5 and were behind 38-22 by halftime. Providence obliterated the Hall on the glass, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and converting them into 23 second-half points, which nullified the Pirates’ improved defensive effort.
“They just wanted it more than us, you could see that from the beginning of the game,” Edwin said. “We’re just not playing good as a team. We’re not doing anything right.”
Willard’s club put together a far better second half and was within eight on three occasions, but never could get closer. The Friars’ backcourt of Cotton, Brooklyn product Vincent Council and freshman Kris Dunn made sure of that.
Orchestrating Providence’s balanced attack, Council had 11 points and eight assists, the first time Providence won with the former Lincoln High star on the court after the senior missed several weeks with a hamstring injury.
“It helped seeing us get a win,” Council said. “Everyone can feel better about themselves.”