Sports

Seton Hall earns holiday cheers at Barclays

Liu Brooklyn could have had Julian Boyd back from his torn ACL and it wouldn’t have mattered. The Blackbirds could have transported Charles Jones and Mike Campbell from their 1997 team then thrown legendary coach Clair Bee on the sidelines and it still wouldn’t have made a difference.

Seton Hall was not losing last night.

After falling behind 19-11 in the first seven minutes, the Pirates put on a sensational shooting display, ending the first half on a 37-10 run, and cruised to an 89-58 win in the nightcap of a tripleheader at Barclays Center.

So, what changed?

“I threatened Christmas,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. “Their two days off were quickly becoming double-sessions. I think that got everybody’s attention.”

Seton Hall (10-2) won its fifth straight game, shooting 58.3 percent from the field while making 10 of 21 3-pointers. The Pirates had six players score in double-figures, led by Brandon Mobley’s 16 points.

Junior Gene Teague, who transferred from Southern Illinois, was imposing inside, putting up 14 points and eight rebounds, and helped turn the early eight-point deficit into a 27-19 lead in less than five minutes.

“I think he’s going to be a nightmare for everybody,” Willard said. “Our guys hadn’t realized what a great weapon he is, and I think the game changed very quickly once he started getting the basketball. There’s not too many teams that have an answer for him.”

LIU Brooklyn (5-6) suffered its second straight loss and dropped to 0-2 at Barclays Center, while less than one mile away, the Blackbirds maintain a 31-game winning streak at their regular home arena, the WRAC.

Without Boyd, last season’s conference player of the year, Jamal Olasewere placed a team’s worth of responsibility on his shoulders and opened the game in spectacular fashion. The senior scored 12 of the team’s first 17 points, but was held scoreless for the rest of the first half, having gotten into foul trouble.

He finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and three steals and was the only Blackbird to score in double figures.

“He can’t do everything,” LIU coach Jack Perri said. “He’s putting a lot of pressure on himself to try and do everything right now. … He gave it everything he had today. He’s a warrior.”