St. John’s led for a vast majority of the game, but a questionable call and a buzzer beater three lift Seton Hall to victory.
- St. John’s Red Storm 74 (12-1, 0-1)
- Seton Hall Pirates 76 (10-3, 1-0)
- Big East, Final, Box Score
- Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
We all knew the St. John’s Red Storm’s undefeated season would come to an end eventually, but it came to an end by way of a ridiculous buzzer beater at the hands of metro rival Seton Hall.
AHHHHHHH!!! SHAVAR REYNOLDS JR!!! pic.twitter.com/67nQTBhJ7b
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) December 30, 2018
Seton Hall deserved to win this game. Despite trailing for the vast majority of the game, the Pirates never let the Johnnies run away. They kept the game around 10 points until a 10-0 run late in the second half brought the game to level terms.
WE ARE TIED 69-69 with 2:41 to go in this BIG EAST classic. Sandro with a CLUTCH triple!! Get to YES Network RIGHT MEOW! #HALLin pic.twitter.com/vf8ET6Con0
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) December 30, 2018
The Hall finally took their first lead of the game when the final minute hit. The final minute was marked by some back and forth play and it looked like St. John’s was in the driver’s seat. On an inbounds play with fewer than four seconds left and a one-point lead, St. John’s knocked the ball free and should have scooped it up en route to a thrilling win.
But rather than letting the play happen, the refs inexplicably blew the whistle and had to reset the play. That’s exactly what gave Seton Hall a second chance. That’s really all they needed.
Sandro Mamukelashvili caught the inbounds pass and found Toms River, NJ native Shavar Reynolds for the go-ahead three-pointer. It was bedlam in Newark and the celebration ensued.
But with the controversy of the final seconds, it’s hard to feel like St. John’s deserved to lose their first game of the season. To be clear, Seton Hall didn’t do anything wrong. They played the hand they were dealt and it was a darn good hand. They made plays when it mattered and they’re opening up Big East play with a 1-0 record.
Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s and Myles Powell of Seton Hall were the two stars entering this game, but they both failed to deliver. Both players struggled to get going against the hard-nosed, New York defense. Ponds finished with eight points on 2-for-13 shooting while Powell turned in 15 points on 5-for-15 from the floor.
Despite the controversy and the disappointing performances from the stars, this game was everything a New Yorker could hope for. Both teams left it all out on the floor and their rematch in February should be just as exciting.
Seton Hall should move into the top 25 with this victory, but both teams showed that they belong somewhere in the national conversation.
College hoops are back in the metro area.
