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Defensive pressure and sharp shooting were both key in Seton Hall's 67-52 win over St. Peter's on Sunday.
Senior forward Brandon Mobley stepped up for the Hall with a game-high 21 points along with seven rebounds, while Isaiah Whitehead struggled in the first half as he missed his first nine attempts from the field, but was able to use his vision to get his teammates involved. Though he finished with just five points, he had eight rebounds, and three assists. The upperclassmen filled the void, but Whitehead still made an impact, which is key to the success of this team.Sterling Gibbs also had another solid game as he ended his afternoon with 12 points and three assists.
Desi Washington, who led the Peacocks to win over The Hall with 34 points exactly one year ago today, was relatively quiet. The senior finished with just 13 points as he struggled to find his shot.Speaking of Desi, Seton Hall's Desi Rodriguez finished with seven points and three assists including a slam dunk that brought the Prudential Center crowd to their feet and provided the spark that Seton Hall needed to finish off the Peacocks.
The Seton Hall defense came to play on Sunday afternoon, as they constantly pressured the Peacocks throughout the game, forcing 11 turnovers. Coach Kevin Willard loves to use the speed of his defense to put the clamps down on their opponents, and it worked in spurts again on Sunday.
At times in the first half, the Pirates struggled to get in a groove offensively and St. Peter's took advantage of many opportunities in transition. Despite that, the Hall shot 43.4 percent from the field and were able to pull away in the second half.
Once again, the Pirates were able to efficiently rebound, as Angel Delgado led the charge with 12 of his own, with nine coming on the offensive end. Delgado appeared to outmuscle all challengers that went out of their way to oppose him, dominating the glass from end to end.
The major difference between the Pirates and Peacocks was the 3-point shooting. St. Peter's shot 2-for-12 from deep while the Pirates made 6-for-19 from behind the arc.
The Pirates were able to get their confidence back after falling to Wichita State. This was good scheduling by the Pirates as they were able to get back on track before their upcoming meetings in the southeastern part of the United States, as South Florida and Georgia loom for this club.