Villanova87Seton Hall74
VILLANOVA — It started as a loss against a team nobody expected them to beat, but it’s turned into an outright, out-of-control free-fall.
Seton Hall has gone from “Who’s Hot” to “Who’s Not” in two short weeks, and faces the prospect of limping into the NCAA Tournament — if it makes it at all.
The Pirates looked tired and haggard in a 87-74 loss here, a defeat that makes what once looked like a sure thing not so sure.
They’d crept into the Top 25 for the first time since 1993 on Valentine’s Day. Later that evening they lost to UConn and have now lost three of four, each loss (all in Big East) more crushing than the previous.
Yesterday, the Pirates (19-7, 10-5) squandered career-highs of 31 points and nine rebounds from swingman Darius Lane because the other nine players managed just 43 points. They likely lost any chance of a top three finish in the league; if Syracuse beats Georgetown today they’ll be eliminated from contention for the title. But far more importantly, they may have put doubts into the minds of the NCAA Selection Committee.
Granted, only two Big East teams — Syracuse and West Virginia, both in 1996-97 — won 19 games and didn’t get NCAA bids. But unless the Pirates beat St. John’s in the Garden Tuesday in their regular-season finale, they realize there’s a chance they could be snubbed.
“They played us tough. They needed the win. They were the better team,” Lane said. “We’re not (worried about the NCAAs). We’ve just gotta regroup and play better defense. We’ve been in a slump as a team. We just have to work harder, play better defense. Defense wins games, and right now we’re not playing good defense.”
That’s an understatement. Villanova (17-10, 7-7) used eight players and five reached double figures, led by center Malik Allen and guard Gary Buchanan, who had 17 points each. The Wildcats, 58-6 at the Pavilion since the start of the 1994-95 season, played like the desperate bubble team they are and rung up the highest point total against the Hall since an 88-78 NIT Pirate loss to Georgia Tech in ’98.
The Pirates made their first seven shots to take a 16-9 lead. And when Allen goaltended Lane’s driving layup 9:27 into the game, it was Lane’s 17th point and it put the Hall ahead 30-21. Little did the Pirates know it would be their last basket for 7:50.
Lane checked out 24 seconds later, joining starters Sam Dalembert and Rimas Kaukenas on the bench, and the Wildcats immediately went on a run that blew open the game. ‘Nova’s Ricky Wright hit a layup, and Reggie Garrett answered with a pair of free throws. From there, the Wildcats went on a 17-1 spurt to seize command.
“He can’t play 40 minutes; he’s got to get some rest,” Hall coach Tommy Amaker said of pulling Lane at that point. “I think Darius played tremendous. He played with guts, determination, fire and passion. We needed other players to step up and help us, and we didn’t get that.”
Clearly not. When Allen hit a 7-foot baseline jumper, the lead was up to 40-35. When Lane finally hit a layup with 2:43 left in the half, the Wildcats had control and never gave up it. The Hall never got closer than five in the second half, and lost its fifth straight game at the Pavilion.
For his part, Amaker said he thinks his team has already earned an NCAA bid, but realizes it may have to beat the Red Storm again to convince the committee.
“I think there’s a case to be made that we’ve already put the clamps on a bid. At some point, people are gonna look at what this team’s done all year,” Amaker said. “It would be much better for us if we won a few more games down the stretch. We have another opportunity to do that next week against St. John’s.”
The Hall entered the day 39th in the latest RPI poll, with a weak schedule ranked a sickly 105th, but ‘Nova coach Steve Lappas was gracious in victory.
“I think they’re in, no doubt in my mind,” Lappas said. “Too bad what I say don’t mean nothin’. But they should be in.”
