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Fairleigh Dickinson didn’t care that Seton Hall was favored by 18.5 points, and they didn’t care that the Pirates have more talent on the roster.
Because as Kevin Durant famously said, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard."
The 3-6 Knights came into the Prudential Center and had their way with Kevin Willard’s team, leaving with a 58-54 victory.
Sidney Sanders Jr. was the star for FDU, leading his team in scoring (23), assists (nine), rebounds (nine) and steals (three). Sunday’s game was just the fourth time in 21 games that Farleigh Dickinson defeated SHU.
After allowing the Knights to jump out to an 18-10 lead to begin the game, Seton Hall struggled for most of the afternoon against FDU’s 1-2-2 press.
Sterling Gibbs mustered just three points while missing all seven of his attempts from the field, but Fuquan Edwin (16 points, 7-of-13) and Brian Oliver (12 points, 4-of-9 3PT) kept the Pirates alive before eventually falling to a four-point defeat.
Seton Hall now slides to a frustrating record of 4-3, with each L decided by under five points. The Pirates should’ve beaten Mercer (77-74, 2OT), Oklahoma (86-85) and Fairleigh Dickinson, and should be heading into Thursday’s game against LIU Brooklyn with an unblemished record.
Sanders talked about how, despite the team’s slow start, they never wilted beneath the pressure of big time in-state rivals like Seton Hall (via NJ.com).
"It's been a tremendous feeling," said senior guard Sydney Sanders, who led all scorers with 23 points. "When we lost our first couple of games, the team would get down and the coaches were trying to keep us up. Keep believing. Keep believing that we're going to win."
The Knights came out with a lot of heart, and Seton Hall came out flat. The Pirates became the first of FDU’s opponents to be outrebounded, as no player on SHU’s roster totaled more than six boards, while the 5’11" Sanders managed to snag a game-high nine boards.
Poor shooting days, like Sunday’s 37.7 percent effort, happen. But when a team shows a blatant lack of effort, they’re going to lose.
Grading the Pirates
| Sterling Gibbs | D | Gibbs, who entered the game as SHU's leading scorer, struggling from the field and notched only three points. It was his worst game of the year by far. |
| Gene Teague | C | Battling a stomach flu, Teague contributed six points and three rebounds in under 15 minutes of play. He wasn't his usual bruising self, but Teague gets a pass for this one. |
| Fuquan Edwin | A | Edwin was one of Seton Hall's few bright spots on Sunday, leading the team with an efficient 16 points, five rebounds and five steals. On the season, Edwin is averaging over 15 PPG. |
| Brian Oliver | B+ | Oliver hit four three-pointers for all twelve of his points, and gave Willard solid minutes all game. It was not an eye-catching performance, but Oliver played well. |
|
Brandon Mobley |
C- | Mobley played a total of 31 minutes, the second highest on the team, but gave the Pirates just seven points in that time. If he's going to play 30+ minutes, Mobley needs to at least reach double digits in the scoring column. |
