In their first true road test, Seton Hall men’s basketball defeated the Kansas State University (KSU) Wildcats, 78-67, at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas, on Saturday. This game marked the start of a home-and-home series for the two programs, with them scheduled to play again next season at the Prudential Center.
The win came on the back of yet another strong defensive performance from the Pirates, who entered their first matchup with the Wildcats in nearly 85 seasons as one of the top defensive teams in the country. Through nine games, SHU ranks fourth in the nation in blocks per game (6.8), 12th in steals per game (10.8), and eighth in scoring defense (61.3), among other categories.
KSU, meanwhile, entered this game as one of the nation’s better offensive teams, especially from 3-point range: the Wildcats boast the 13th best 3-point percentage in the nation (41%), while shooting the 46th most 3-pointers per game (10.3).
They also boast the nation’s top scorer in junior guard PJ Haggerty, who averaged 25.1 points per game through nine games, and is fourth in the nation in total points (201). Last month, Haggerty was named to the John R. Wooden Preseason Watch List, which is given annually to the most outstanding player in Division I college basketball. He was also named both the AP and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Nov. 25 after averaging 31.7 points and leading KSU to a 2-1 record in the Hall of Fame Classic.
As such, the key to winning this game for the Pirates was shutting down Haggerty and the Wildcats’ shooting from beyond the arc—which is exactly what they did.
At halftime, KSU had made two of 14 3-point attempts, shooting just 14% from beyond the arc. The second half was no different—although they hit three times as many 3s after the break, and even finished the game with more total makes than SHU (who went 5-for-23), it took them 30 attempts to get there.
After Wednesday’s win over Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), head coach Shaheen Holloway said that SHU’s motto this season has been, “If teams hit threes and get offensive rebounds, they’re gonna beat us.” Although KSU grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in the game, SHU defended the Wildcats well enough from beyond the arc to secure the win.
The Pirates also held Haggerty to just a single point in the first half. He shot 0-for-6 from the field, 0-for-1 from 3-point range, and 1-for-4 (25%) from the free throw line. Haggerty played better in the second half, scoring 10 points, but shot just 3-for-9 (33.3%) from the field. He finished the game with 11 points—14 under his average—on 25% (3-for-12) shooting, while also committing six turnovers.
During his postgame radio interview with Dave Popkin, Holloway said it was a “team effort” that stopped the nation’s leading scorer in this game.
In addition to shutting down Haggerty and the team’s 3-point shooting, turnovers were also a major factor in SHU’s success, as they forced 16 Wildcat turnovers in the game. KSU head coach Jerome Tang acknowledged the Pirates’ ability to force their opponents into turnovers after the game.
“They did what they do best: which is turn you over, and get out,” Tang said. “They scored 22 to our seven points off turnovers—that’s a 15 point difference.”
Indeed, the Pirates entered this game ranked seventh in the nation in turnover margin (+6.2), with them forcing their opponents into 16.2 turnovers a game while only turning the ball over themselves just 9.9 times per game. They also recorded ten steals, keeping their streak of nine or more steals in every game this season—the longest such streak in program history.
But apart from the Pirates’ strong defense, the win was also in part due to KSU’s own struggles, especially from the free-throw line. They shot just 43% from the charity stripe, making just 15 of 35 attempts.
SHU received six votes in the latest AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Poll released on Dec. 1. Following this win over KSU, along with their their win over CCSU earlier this week, it's likely that the Pirates will receive more votes in next week's poll—and perhaps even earn their first national ranking since the 2021-22 season.
Now 9-1—tying their best record after ten games since the 2021-22 season—the Pirates have a week until their next game on Dec. 13, when they face Rutgers University in the 11th installment of the Garden State Hardwood Classic. After falling in last year’s matchup at Jersey Mike’s Arena on a game-winning 3-pointer by former-Scarlet Knight Dylan Harper, a new, improved, and on-the-rise Pirates squad will look to get revenge against their in-state rivals—this time at home at the Prudential Center.
After Pirate Nation packed Walsh Gymnasium on Wednesday, coach Holloway urged fans to continue to do so, especially for their upcoming game against Rutgers.
“The way we play, I think we’re showing our fans that we need them to show up for us,” Holloway said. “We definitely need them to show up for us moving forward.”
Zachary Mawby is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
