MBB Minute – Seton Hall Takes Road Win, Georgetown Victorious at Home
Seton Hall stayed unbeaten in league play with a win at Xavier on Wednesday, while Georgetown picked up its first BIG EAST victory at home, topping St. John’s.
The Pirates moved to 3-0 in BIG EAST play for only the fifth time in league history with an 83-71 victory at Xavier. The Hall took control with a 21-5 first-half run and held off a Musketeer rally in the latter stages of the contest. Myles Powell notched 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Backcourt partner Quincy McKnight added 16 points, eight assists and three steals. The Pirates (11-4), who have won five in a row, are 75-7 (.915) under coach Kevin Willard when scoring 80 or more points.
Xavier was led by Tyrique Jones who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Naji Marshall hit the 1,000-point mark in his career with a 15-point effort. The Musketeers (12-4, 1-2) saw their 13-game winning streak at Cintas Center come to an end.
Georgetown gained its first BIG EAST triumph with an 87-66 victory over St. John’s at Capital One Arena. The Hoyas (11-5, 1-2) started the game with a 20-7 run and led by as many as 29 points. Mac McClung recorded his sixth 20-point game of the season with a 24 points. Jamorko Pickett helped with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
L.J. Figueroa led the Johnnies (11-5, 0-3) with 23 points. Rasheem Dunn finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The BIG EAST schedule is dark on Thursday. On Friday, a battle of the early unbeaten league teams takes place in Providence when the Friars host sixth-ranked Butler. PC is 3-0 in BIG EAST play with Bulldogs at 2-0. The Friars (10-6) have won four in a row overall. The Bulldogs (14-1) have taken five straight. They ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 54.1 points per game.
Home teams are 8-6 in league games going into Friday.