March Madness looms, and UConn is charging full steam ahead in the Big East. Their next challenge? A struggling Seton Hall squad desperate for a turnaround. The relevance of the game for the Dan Hurley’s Huskies remains high as they will look to continue their winning run and vouch for that top seed. In contrast, Seton Hall Pirates will be there to spoil the party.
UConn staged a thrilling comeback against Creighton, flipping the script late in the game to snatch victory from the Bluejays. It was a perfect response from the Huskies after last week’s daunting loss to the top-seeded St John’s. Seton Hall is coming into the Big East fixture after suffering defeat at the hands of Georgetown. For the Pirates, the nightmare continues with nine straight losses and an injury crisis that refuses to ease up.
The UConn vs Seton Hall game will be played on Saturday at the Prudential Center Arena in Newark, New Jersey. Fans can watch the game from 2:30 PM EST.
Seton Hall’s struggles go beyond their nine-game losing streak, they’re also battling a mounting injury crisis. Both elements are interconnected and have resulted in the derailment of the NCAA season for the Pirates. Emmanuel Okorafor (Center), Scotty Middleton (Small forward), and Dylan Addae-Wusu (guard) are all doubtful due to ankle issues. While Chaunce Jenkins, who plays as a guard, is also questionable due to a hamstring injury.
The scoring woes, by the look of it, are set to continue for the home side on Saturday.
Seton Hall Faces Challenge Ahead of UConn Showdown
While UConn Huskies’ Dan Hurley has reported no fresh injuries and currently enjoys a fully healthy squad. Their star playmaker Hassan Diarra is likely to enter the court after making a full recovery from injury. Alex Karaban is also hungry after his return, which was seen against Creighton last Saturday.
Starting lineup:
UConn Huskies – Solo Ball, Hassan Diarra (if available), Alex Karaban, Liam McNeeley, Samson Johnson.
Seton Hall Pirates – Prince Aligbe, Godswill Erheriene, Isaiah Coleman, Jahseem Felton, Garwey Dual.
Seton Hall’s season has spiraled, with injuries and a nine-game losing streak making matters worse. They last won an NCAA basketball game in January against De Paul by 85-80. Even that was a close game to make matters worse. Their forward line is not able to make an impact, with Prince Aligbe at the forefront of the attack.
Pirates’ last game against Georgetown University ended with a disappointing scoreline of 60-46. Prince Aligbe managed to score only three points in 24 minutes. And the only silver lining out of the NCAA game was Isaiah Coleman. The combo guard bagged 21 points and 10 rebounds against a rightly balanced Georgetown University.
On the other hand, the UConn Huskies have revived their season under coach Dan Hurley. The close loss against top-seeded St John’s Red Storm broke the heart of the Huskies. Despite putting in a grit performance, UConn lost the game by 62-68. However, coach Dan Hurley pulled the Huskies together and injected a dose of confidence, making them believe that things were only going to get better.
UConn entered the Creighton matchup, determined to rebound from their loss. But a sluggish first half saw them trailing 37-29 before Liam McNeeley’s heroics changed everything. With just 10 minutes remaining in the game, Liam McNeeley turned it around for the Huskies. He landed buckets after buckets, shocking the Creighton Bluejays defense. The forward earned 38 points and collected 10 rebounds in 38 minutes of his play.
Riding high on momentum, UConn now faces Seton Hall. Will the Huskies extend their dominance, or can the Pirates pull off a shocker? What do you think?
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