It’s nothing new to watch Seton Hall bring their lunch pails into work every other night from December to March. When it comes to effort, head coach Kevin Willard’s teams are usually the first one’s in and last one’s out.
Adversity is no stranger to Seton Hall, this season is no different. And yet, there were the Pirates on Tuesday night — again — looking adversity in the face like Rocky Balboa did Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, and Ivan Drago.
Seton Hall went into Hinkle Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis, and walked out a few hours later with a 71-56 win. With the victory, the Pirates were able to avoid their first 0-3 start in league play since 2009-10.
It’s an impressive win for a team which hasn’t had a full practice in three weeks because of COVID-19 concerns.
After falling behind early to Butler, the Pirates responded with a 15-2 run before going into halftime with an eight-point lead. They maintained their intensity in the second half keeping the Bulldogs at arm’s length the rest of the way.
Three games postponed due to health and safety protocols. Losses to Providence and Villanova with a short-handed roster. Dropping from Number 15 to Number 24 in the national rankings. And unable to run a full practice. There’s been a lot for Willard’s team to navigate, but they find a way to remind you why they’re still just as dangerous as ever.
“We have some sixth-year seniors, a bunch of fifth-year seniors, so we’ve got a lot of guys that have played in really tough environments,” coach Kevin Willard said. “You have a lot of guys who have won in Hinkle throughout their years. Jared Rhoden hit a game-winning shot in this building. We decided to keep our composure.”
Tuesday night, Rhoden led the Pirates over Butler with 17 points. Alexis Yetna added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Starting center, and defensive-stopper, Ike Obiagu returned to add eight points off the bench.
Seton Hall remains resilient, and they’re still tough. It’s a battle-tested roster with a battle-tested head coach.
But what else is new?
