Seton Hall vs. Rhode Island final score: Pirates lose heartbreaker to Rams in NIT Tip-Off

Jared Terrell’s right-handed floater off the glass from a tough angle sank the Pirates’ ship on Thanksgiving Night in Brooklyn, as Seton Hall fell 75-74 to the Rhode Island Rams. The loss is the Pirates’ first of the season.

The Hall dug themselves a hole in the first half, with lackluster defense resulting in 54 URI points in the first 20 minutes. The Rams shot 61 percent from the floor in the first half against the Pirates’ D, as well as 7-for-9 from deep.

The Pirates had a hot shooting first half as well, shooting 50 percent from the floor. Myles Powell was on fire, pouring in 18 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers.

The second half was far different, in that the Pirates’ defense finally stepped up. The Hall outscored Rhode Island 29-21 in the final 20 minutes, but the Pirates play in the first half put them in a situation they ultimately could not recover from.

The beginning of the second half began slowly, with defense beginning to take over the barnburner of a game it previously was. URI eventually extended their lead to 11, their largest lead of the night.

The Pirates slowly chipped away at the Rams’ lead, eventually retaking the lead 72-71 with just under six minutes remaining. It was the Pirates’ first lead since a 22-20 lead in the early stages of the first half.

The Pirates would have the lead again, 74-73, with 21 seconds left. Terrell ran the clock down, drove down the right side of the lane, and threw up a miraculous floater that went high off the glass and in the basket with five seconds left. Khadeen Carrington brought the ball up floor quickly to try and salvage the night for the Pirates, but lost control of his dribble as time expired.

Terrell ended up with a game-high 32 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Rhode Island was also sharp from the charity stripe, as they went 16-for-17 on the night.

As for the Pirates, Powell ended up with 21 points, but just three of them came in the second half. Angel Delgado notched another double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Carrington and Desi Rodriguez each poured in 12 points for the Pirates.

Isolated, this game is a gut punch for the Pirates. They played poor defensively in the first half, and were very close to finding a way to win anyway. Overall, this is not a bad loss at all. Rhode Island is one of, if not, the best mid-major program this season. They were picked to win the Atlantic 10 in the preseason, and they will without a doubt be one of the 68 teams playing in March.

The Pirates will now face the Vanderbilt Commodores in the third place game of the NIT Season Tip-Off tomorrow night at 9:45 p.m. at the Barclays Center.