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Pirates face must-win game at home against Hoyas

College, Basketball, Featured, Seton Hall University

February 13, 2023

After an 0-2 week, the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team return home on Tuesday evening for a matchup with the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas come into Newark sitting in last place in the Big East Conference, with a 1-14 record in league play. With an early start time of 6:00 p.m. on Valentine's Day, it is crucial that the Pirates don’t overlook the Hoyas. A loss to the 6-20 Georgetown Hoyas would burst the Pirates' NCAA tournament bubble.

Pirates fans: spend Valentine's Day with @SetonHallMBB!

Let's show some heart & help Stand Up to Cancer tomorrow night! Card will be available at the M&M & Citizens Bank tower entrances!

🎟: https://t.co/RI6qUhl5TI #HALLin pic.twitter.com/1ZCkfAIS1x

— Seton Hall Athletics (@SHUAthletics) February 13, 2023

After the Pirates fell to Villanova in Philadelphia on Saturday evening, Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway was asked about the road ahead for his team. Holloway said, “I’ll get back in the lab and stir something up and figure out how to win on Tuesday.” The component Shaheen Holloway needs to stir up is Al-Amir Dawes. After being face guarded by Justin Moore on Saturday night, it is crucial that the Pirates can get open looks for their best three-point shooter. Dawes scored twenty-four points when Seton Hall defeated Georgetown on the road 66-51 in early January. Seton Hall is 13-5 in games where Dawes scores double figures.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Pirates will have their hands full with Georgetown guard Primo Spears. The sophomore guard has been one of the best scorers in the Big East this season, averaging nearly sixteen points a game. Then there is Georgetown center Qudus Wahab, who nearly averages a double-double with ten points and seven rebounds and has given Seton Hall issues in the past. Rumors are swirling around the Georgetown program that Wahab has quit the team and left the school. If Wahab is not with Georgetown on Tuesday evening, this will be a big advantage for the Pirates and center Tyrese Samuel, who is coming off a double-double against Villanova.

For the Pirates, the status of forward Dre Davis is crucial. Davis is averaging nine points per game and has missed the past four games since going down with an ankle injury at the end of the Butler game. The Pirates who struggle to score, especially from behind the three-point line could use the scoring production off of the bench from Davis.

With a Saturday afternoon game looming against the University of Connecticut Huskies, this is the classic 'trap game' for Seton Hall. An early start time on Valentine's Day will not help give Seton Hall a strong home-court advantage. However, the Pirates have done a good job all season long of beating the teams on paper that they are expected to beat, especially at home.

Will Seton Hall keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive in a must-win game at the Prudential Center? We will find out early Tuesday evening.