Seton Hall blows another shot at outright Big East regular-season title in loss to Creighton

Ty-Shon Alexander, Myles Powell

Seton Hall's Myles Powell (13) shoots against Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander (5) during the first half on Saturday, March 7, 2020. (AP Photo | Nati Harnik)AP

Seton Hall controlled its destiny for the final two games of the regular-season, but the Pirates couldn’t get the win they needed to make history.

After missing out on an opportunity to clinch the outright Big East Conference regular-season title at home against Villanova on Wednesday, the No. 8 Pirates lost to No. 11 Creighton, 77-60, on the road in a difficult environment on Saturday. The loss means Seton Hall (21-9, 13-5) failed to claim its first outright Big East regular-season title since 1993.

Instead, the Pirates finished in a three-way tie for the crown with Creighton and Villanova. Seton Hall, which earlier this season won 10 straight games, lost four of their final seven heading into the postseason.

Creighton (24-7, 13-5), picked seventh in the 10-team Big East, clinched a share of its first conference title since winning the Missouri Valley Conference crown in 2013.

The Pirates also fell to the No. 3 seed in next week’s Big East Tournament, while Creighton will be the 1 seed and Villanova the 2. The Wildcats won at Georgetown, 70-69, earlier Saturday.

In the quarterfinals, Seton Hall will play Marquette, the 6 seed, on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. Their opponent won’t be known until later Saturday. The Big East semifinals are set for Friday, with the championship game March 14.

The Pirates were picked to win the Big East regular-season crown and fulfilled their destiny (if not completely) despite losing Myles Powell to a concussion for two games and Sandro Mamuekelashvili to a fractured wrist for 10.

In this game, both players played well, just not well enough.

Powell went for 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting and five assists and Mamukelashvili had seven points and 12 rebounds.

Quincy McKnight went for 15 points, Jared Rhoden 12 points and five rebounds and Romaro Gill nine points and six rebounds.

Marcus Zegarowski led Creighton with 23 points, making 5-of-5 from deep. Denzel Mahoney had 16 points for the Bluejays and Ty-Shon Alexander 15.

Powell scored on a layup to put Seton Hall within 54-52, but Creighton used a 7-2 run to go ahead 61-54.

Powell then drained a three from the top of the arc to make it 61-57.

A three by Ty-Shon Alexander put Creighton up 67-59 with about three and a half minutes left.

Alexander then hit the knockout three to make it 74-60 with about one and a half remaining.

With 85 seconds left, Damien Jefferson clapped in Mamukelashvili's face and the two got into a verbal clash. A double-technical foul was called.

Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media.

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