2013 Big East Tournament second round quick hitters

NEW YORK – The quarterfinals are up next in the Big East Tournament. In the second round, we saw Cincinnati blitz Providence early and fend off a rally, Syracuse rally from an early deficit due to a hot shooting Seton Hall team with a very strong second half, Villanova knock off a young St. John’s team and Notre Dame pull away from Rutgers and then hold them off. The four winners take on the top four seeds on Thursday.

Some quick hitters from Wednesday:

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2013 Big East Tournament first round quick hitters

NEW YORK – The first round of the Big East Tournament is in the books, with two quick games on Tuesday night. One came right down to the end with overtime, the second saw the winning team pull away and in a game with much more scoring. Two full days of action are ahead, Providence and Cincinnati opening up Wednesday’s action at noon.

Some quick hitters from Tuesday night’s games:

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Seton Hall edges South Florida in Big East opener

NEW YORK – Seton Hall epitomized the “survive and advance” concept in the Big East Tournament opening round. The Pirates came from eight down with under three minutes to play to force overtime and go on to defeat South Florida 46-42. Tuesday night’s game at Madison Square Garden opened the tournament, being contested this week with a strong scent of nostalgia present.

South Florida came into the contest averaging a very deliberate 60 possessions in Big East play. For the evening, including overtime, the Bulls used just 54 possessions. At the half USF led 20-17 in a 22-possession first twenty minutes. Neither team went to the line during those first twenty minutes. In addition only nine fouls were called the entire half.

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Marquette continues Seton Hall’s struggles

NEWARK, N.J. – The string continues. Seton Hall fell to 2-12 in Big East play. Marquette broke open the game with a resounding second half en route to a 67-46 victory over the Pirates Tuesday at the Prudential Center. The main points of emphasis:

1. The First four. Tied at 27 at halftime, Marquette utilized the opening four minutes to force turnovers on three of the Hall’s seven possessions. On the offensive end the Golden Eagles found the range, and at the 16 minute mark owned a 40-33 lead. It was a lead they would not surrender, only build on.

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Seton Hall 55, South Florida 47: Stats and keys

NEWARK, N.J. – On an extremely brutal mercury plunging night, Seton Hall left visiting South Florida in the cold posting a 55-47 victory at the Prudential Center on Wednesday. The pace was to South Florida’s liking, but that slower tempo did not  deter the Pirates.

A look at the key numbers:

Possessions:

South Florida 55
Seton Hall 53

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Seton Hall 76, St. Peter’s 61: Box score analysis and Willard’s praise

NEWARK, N.J. – Seton Hall continued its hot start by winning their fifth game in six tries, defeating St. Peter’s 76-61 at the Prudential Center on Sunday. St. Peter’s, who started off with a three-game win streak, featured by a win at Rutgers, dropped a second straight to fall to 3-2. The numbers of note:

Possessions:

St.Peter’s                  61
Seton Hall                 66

The Hall got out in transition the second half but for the most part, St. Peter’s did a good job dictating tempo.

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Seton Hall defeates Stony Brook in NIT opener

South Orange, N.J. - In coaching psychology plays a key part. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard had to play a major role of psychologist to get the Pirates ready for the NIT. Just 48 hours removed from a severe “Selection Sunday” snub, Seton Hall defeated Stony Brook 63-61 in the first round of the NIT at Walsh Gymnasium.

The pace and efficiency:

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Tempo-free: Bonnies, Seton Hall and eFG percentage

BRONX, N.Y. – Shooting cures a number of ailments. It should be emphasized, accurate shooting. St. Bonaventure improved to 8-5 in Atlantic Ten play with an 89-63 victory over Fordham on Wednesday. The loss dropped the Rams to 2-11 in conference.

For starters, we take a look at the key offensive numbers in this one:

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St. John’s Week: A tempo-free look

NEW YORK - St. John’s split their two games the past week. A common thread of the two games was the importance of rebounding. The battle under the glass, especially on the offensive end, played a part in both outcomes, though more so in the meeting with UCLA.

On Tuesday, St. John’s was trampled 94-64 by Seton Hall at the Prudential Center. It was, simply, a “Valentine’s Day massacre”. On Saturday they showed resilience bouncing back for a strong 66-63 victory over UCLA at Madison Square Garden.

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Seton Hall 73, Pittsburgh 66: The final analysis

NEWARK, N.J. - It came down to a very simple situation: Seton Hall made shots when they had to, Pitt did not. The Hall defeated the Panthers 73-66 at the Prudential Center on Sunday.

After building and losing a 12-point lead, the Pirates trailed 61-55 with eight minutes to play. In the stretch, they came up with a succession of clutch plays. The victory came on the heels of a road win at Rutgers and has revived talk of an NCAA bid for Seton Hall.

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