There was tension in Prudential Center, and it had nothing to do with the impending snowstorm. This was February tension, the understanding that another Seton Hall misstep at home could lead to an empty March.
And Seton Hall responded like a team used to playing with such tension — it spent all of February on the NCAA Tournament bubble a year ago, after all — getting the stops it needed, getting the clutch shots it had to have to prevail, and surviving Providence, 72-70 in overtime, on freshman Myles Powell’s runner in the lane with 7.2 seconds left.
Kyron Cartwright’s jumper clanged off the rim at the horn, and the Pirates had their second straight victory, after dropping five of the previous six.
Junior Khadeen Carrington, playing 44 minutes, scored five of his 21 points in the extra session, and added seven rebounds and five assists. Angel Delgado notched a triple-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Powell had 14. Rodney Bullock led Providence with 19 points.
Seton Hall (15-8, 5-6 Big East) appeared to be in control in regulation, up 60-56 with 4:03 to go, before it went ice cold, failing to score on five consecutive possessions. After Rodney Bullock gave Providence a 61-60 lead with a top-of-the-key jumper, Desi Rodriguez stopped the drought, answering with a free throw with 33.9 to go. The seesaw affair went into overtime when Providence was unable to get a shot off at the other end, and Powell’s desperation heave at the buzzer didn’t draw iron.
After consecutive strong starts, Seton Hall woes early on returned, and in a major way. Flat at both ends of the floor, the Pirates found themselves down 27-12. Providence was getting whatever it wants at the offensive end, easy layups through nonexistent defense, and uncontested jump shots. Clearly, the absence of defensive stopper Ismael Sanogo (ankle) was a factor, the lane wide open.
Seton Hall, sparked by 3-pointers from Carrington and Rodriguez, responded with an 8-0 run, and got within a point on a Delgado layup with 50 seconds left in the half. But momentum turned in the final seconds, when Delgado back-rimmed a wide-open dunk attempt. Bullock was fouled hard by Rodriguez on another dunk attempt, hitting the floor hard. Rodriguez was assessed a flagrant 1 foul, and it led to the Friars scoring the final four points of the stanza, and leading 41-36 at the break.
Hours before the loss, Seton Hall announced junior guard Jevon Thomas had decided to leave the program after just 10 games. Sources said the Queens native, a Kansas State transfer who sat out last season, was upset with his lack of playing time, seeing a combined 13 minutes over the last three games.
The volatile Thomas, who has one year of eligibility left, averaged just 0.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.1 steals, playing just 10.2 minutes per game. He committed more fouls (11) than points scored (seven).
Thomas got into trouble last February, when he allegedly put his hands around graduate assistant Kevin Matthews neck during a fracas in an intramural basketball game. Coach Kevin Willard stuck his neck out for him, believing Thomas could atone for his error in judgement and help the program this year. Instead, Thomas struggled on the court after serving a suspension for the first semester, and left the program on Wednesday.
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