Game Recap: Seton Hall 74, Mercer 77

Senior Fuquan Edwin led all scorers with 35 points, but was the only player on Seton Hall to reach double figures. Edwin connected on 15 of his 25 shots from the field and also grabbed five steals in the heartbreaking 77-74 loss to Mercer.

Redshirt sophomore Sterling Gibbs came into Saturday’s game averaging 21 points, but was able to put just nine on the board against Mercer. Senior Gene Teague added nine points and 12 boards in 41 minutes for the Pirates, who fell to the Bears despite a valiant performance from Edwin.

Edwin proved why he came into this season as a legitimate NBA prospect, giving Seton Hall the breakout performance that everyone was waiting for after a pedestrian first two games. He willed the Pirates as far as they could go, and even sent the game into its second OT period with a cold-blooded late bucket.

Seton Hall connected on an abysmal 5-for-20 from beyond the three-point arc, and barely converted on half of their free throw attempts (17-for-30). In addition to a poor shooting night, Kevin Willard’s team couldn’t contain Mercer’s star senior guard Langston Hall, who led the Bears with 24 points, including four free throws in the game’s final minute.

Mercer had four scorers reach double digits in the points column, and as a team shot over 72 percent from the charity stripe. Seniors Bud Thomas, who hit five three-pointers in the game, and Jakob Gollon came up with clutch three-pointers at the end of regulation and in the overtime periods, spurring Mercer to its second win of the season.

This marks Seton Hall’s first loss of the year, setting their record at 2-1 three games into the 2013-14 season. Next on the schedule is Monmouth University, a well-balanced team with four players averaging more than ten points a night.

The Hawks beat Hofstra by four on opening night and then came up six points shorts against Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

Seton Hall will square off against Monmouth on Monday night at the Prudential Center.