Al-Amir Dawes scored 20 points as Seton Hall fended off visiting Georgetown 76-68 in Big East action on Tuesday in Newark, N.J.
Tyrese Samuel contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates (16-11, 9-7 Big East). Kadary Richmond supplied 14 points and Femi Odukale chipped in eight points and pulled down 10 boards. KC Ndefo logged 11 points to round out Seton Hall’s double-digit scorers.
Primo Spears led the Hoyas (6-21, 1-15) with 16 points and five assists, Jay Heath logged 12 points and Bradley Ezewiro chipped in 10. Akok Akok tallied nine points and a team-high-tying eight rebounds, while Bryson Mozone added nine points on 3-for-5 3-point shooting before fouling out.
The Hoyas were hapless beyond the arc for most of the game, shooting 6-of-25 (24 percent) after missing their first 12 attempts. Their first triple didn’t come until the 9:02 mark in the second half, when Heath cut Seton Hall’s lead to 47-35.
Heath’s trey sparked a 5-for-7 flurry from deep by the Hoyas, who pulled to within 61-55 on Akok’s 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:33 to go.
The Pirates knocked down five free throws to keep Georgetown at bay, but Heath drained a corner three that dwindled Seton Hall’s advantage to 70-66 with 34 seconds remaining.
After Dawes gave the Pirates a six-point cushion with two free throws on the ensuing possession, Heath was fouled on what was initially ruled a 3-pointer, but an official’s review concluded Heath’s foot was on the line.
Heath converted both free throws, but the Hoyas never got closer as Richmond and Odukale drained two free throws apiece to seal it.
Seton Hall, who entered Tuesday’s game ranked last in the conference in free-throw percentage, went 21-for-25 from the line in the second half and 28-for-37 overall. They also held a 17-4 advantage in points off turnovers and outscored Georgetown in the paint 34-20.
The Pirates never trailed throughout a sloppy first half that featured more turnovers (20) than made field goals (17).
Dawes found a hint of rhythm when he drained Seton Hall’s only two 3-pointers of the first half to put the Pirates ahead 16-10, and Seton Hall used stingy defense to weather a subsequent field goal drought that spanned nearly seven minutes to carry a 27-20 lead into the break.
No Georgetown player scored more than four points in the first half as the Hoyas went 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from the field — including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc — and finished the period with the fewest points they’ve scored in any half this season.
–Field Level Media