WICHITA, Kan. — The effort was fitting. Just not the ending.
Seton Hall and its seniors went down swinging, showcasing their trademark grit, tenacity and determination to the Kansas-dominated Intrust Bank Arena crowd of 14,385. If this Midwest Region second-round showdown was a boxing match, the Pirates didn’t get knocked out against the far more decorated fighter.
They lost a split decision, falling short on points. They wobbled, but never hit the mat. Not until the clock hit triple zeroes, and the eighth seed was four points short.
Top-seeded Kansas had too much firepower, too much pedigree, and prevailed, 83-79, ending the storied careers of Khadeen Carrington, Angle Delgado, Ismael Sanogo and Desi Rodriguez after three consecutive tournaments berths, the first Seton Hall tournament victory in 14 years, and a Big East Tournament crown.
In their final college games, Carrington and Delgado did all they could — Delgado throughout 38 memorable minutes and Carrington in a final valiant comeback attempt — as the road team in this supposed neutral site contest that was played just two hours south of the Jayhawks’ campus in Lawrence. It wasn’t enough.
“It’s why I love those guys,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said in his emotional, tear-filled, postgame press conference. “This game was exactly how their careers [were]. Not pretty at times, but absolutely unbelievable grit, unbelievable effort. And they never, ever walked off the floor without giving it their all, and I think that’s something that not a whole lot of kids can say for their careers.”
“It really sucks, basically,” Delgado said. “It really sucks to leave like this right now because we got so much expectations.”
Delgado was an absolute monster in the paint, producing a superhuman 24-point, career-high 23-rebound, five-assist performance, and Carrington scored 26 of his 28 points after halftime. Delgado’s 20/20 game was the first in Seton Hall tournament history, spanning 28 games, and just the fifth 20/20 game in the past 40 tournaments, according to ESPN. They didn’t have enough help.
Myles Powell and Rodriguez shot a combined 7-of-27 from the field, and Sanogo didn’t score in 23 foul-plagued minutes.
“The guys left everything on the floor, and I’m really proud of my teammates,” Delgado said. “I would not change these guys for anybody in the country.”
More than anything, poor starts to each half were too much to overcome. So was the Jayhawks’ lights-out shooting after halftime, making 60 percent of their shots. As was the surprising production of previously injured big man Udoka Azubuike, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes after playing three insignificant minutes Thursday.
“If Udoka wasn’t able to come back from his injury, we don’t win,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Seton Hall (22-12) defended Devonte’ Graham as well as can be, limiting the Big 12 Player of Year and Naismith Trophy finalist to eight points on 1-of-7 shooting. But they couldn’t control the other Kansas (29-7) weapons. Lagerald Vick, Malik Newman and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk all took turns burying them with timely shots, the trio combining for 57 points, as Graham distributed nine assists.
It was Mykhailiuk who delivered the death blow, a 3-pointer on a Newman dish with 1:10 left to extend the Kansas lead to eight after Seton Hall had gotten as close as four a few minutes prior. Even then, Carrington tried to will the Pirates back, scoring 13 points from that point on, but they could never get within one possession as Kansas made its final 10 free throw attempts.
After the players’ postgame press conference, they waited in the Seton Hall locker room for the media, each still with their jerseys on. They didn’t want to remove them. Delgado and Rodriguez called the past four years the best of their livesand Rodriguez said Willard was always there for him where in the past others haven’t been.
“There’s no next week, no more practices. I’m never going to put on the Seton Hall jersey again,” Carrington said. “I got to cope with that, and move on to the next chapter in my life.”
It will be hard for everyone around the program to see them go.
“They’re like my kids — they really are,” Willard said, shedding tears.
An era ended for Seton Hall on Saturday night in disappointing fashion. But not before the program’s four seniors gave their fans one last reminder of why they will be missed so much.