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Seton Hall pulled out to a 5-0 lead quickly thanks in large part to their star Fuquan Edwin. The game then quickly devolved into a sloppy mess on both ends of the floor. Neither team was able to put the ball into the basket with ease. As a result, the first few minutes were taken up almost entirely by the two teams battling for rebounds. In one of those battles, just two minutes into the game, Fuquan Edwin fell to the floor and was taken into the locker room.
Edwin would end up missing the remainder of the game with a sprained ankle.
The Blackbirds didn't have to worry about the Pirates' go-to guy, but they were unable to take advantage of his absence. The Pirates' shots started falling and they pulled out to a ten point lead.
Jason Brickman's teammates weren't shooting well, so the nation's leading assist man had to do it himself. He was just 5-24 from three point land heading into this game. With the Pirates threatening to blow the game open, Brickman went 3-7 from deep and totaled 15 points in the half. Before tonight his season high was 13 points, he finished two short of his career high with 17.
Brickman's three point proficiency must have rubbed off on the Pirates. Seton Hall began the half 0-9 from three but once Brickman got hot, so did the Pirates. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, 27 of the Pirates' 53 points had come from deep. Brian Oliver led the way for the Pirates with four threes in the half, he finished with 8 threes and 26 points.
The second half picked up where the first left off. The Blackbirds' defense tried to hinder the Pirates hot shooting from the perimeter, but they couldn't. The extra focus on the three point shooters allowed the Pirates to pound the ball into the paint, particularly to the 6' 9", 270lbs Gene Teague.
LIU Brooklyn is one of the nation's shortest teams. No Blackbird can match Teague's size. Teague finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds. For the Blackbirds, E.J. Reed tried to counter Teague's effort. He finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
About halfway through the second half, Brickman ran headfirst into the hip of a Pirate while scrambling for a loose ball. As he lay on the floor it seemed as if the already one-sided game was heading for a blowout. However, the tough point guard, who continued to pace the team in scoring, stayed in the game.
Had he left the game, the Blackbirds would have been completely lost tonight. His scoring kept them in the game in the first half. In the second half he returned to his typical assisting form and also kept his foot on the scoring pedal.
The Blackbirds shooting picked up in the second half, but the Pirates never let them get too close. The result was a high scoring and entertaining game.
By the time the final horn sounded, Seton Hall had a 92-81 lead.
The Blackbirds fall to 2-5 on the season.
