The game between Seton Hall and Providence that began on Feb. 21 in the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. was postponed early in the second half due to unsafe conditions on the court. It will finish at 12 p.m. on Feb. 22 in Providence’s on-campus facility, Alumni Hall. The game will be broadcast on YES Network from the 1,800-seat gymnasium.
The conclusion to the game Thursday will mark the first time Providence men’s basketball has played a conference game at Alumni Hall.
The reason for the abrupt suspension of action was the unsafe conditions of the court after unseasonably warm weather caused the ice under the court, which is used for hockey, to make the court too slippery to compete despite the work of the Center’s crew.
Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez took a hard fall from a seemingly strange slip with 3:52 remaining in the first half, with players, coaches and referees noticing the court’s condition as an issue of safety that could not be resolved.
The coaches and referees took a 10-minute break to discuss the issue with 13:03 remaining in the second half, with Seton Hall director of athletics Pat Lyons seen on the broadcast speaking with referees. After the lengthy stoppage, officials concluded that continuing play would be unsafe, and announced the postponement.
The change will give Seton Hall a short window to turn around for its next game. Luckily for the Pirates, that game is a trip back to the New York area, as the team will face St. John’s at Madison Square Garden at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Seton Hall led Providence 56-47 when the game was stopped after a promising start to the second half.
Myles Powell led all scorers with 16 points, including two three-pointers in the opening minute of the second half.
Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington were both in double figures with 11 points each. Meanwhile, Alpha Diallo and Kyron Cartwright led Providence with 10 points apiece.
Seton Hall dominated the paint both offensively and defensively in the 27 minutes of play, putting together 30 points in the paint while holding the Friars to just 16.
The Hall controlled the speed and pace of the game as well, as Providence failed to muster any fast break points, compared to Seton Hall’s nine in that variety.
The challenge for the Pirates will be to find a way to continue the rhythm they displayed Wednesday in what will be an Alumni Hall atmosphere only open to students and faculty, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
A win for the Pirates would bring Seton Hall even with Providence and Creighton for fourth place in the Big East standings.
Kyle Kasharian can be reached at kyle.kasharian@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @ItsKyleKash. James Justice can be reached at james.justice@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @JamesJusticeIII.
