Seton Hall Fights Flu & Fouls in Big East Battle

Seton Hall, still reeling from a recent defeat, is set to play Xavier in Cincinnati this Tuesday night in a pivotal Big East contest. The Pirates, with a 19-10 record and 9-9 in conference play, recently missed a significant opportunity to improve their NCAA Tournament standing after a 71-67 loss to UConn. Coach Shaheen Holloway, who was managing the flu during the UConn game, expressed frustration over the Huskies' disparity in second-half free-throw attempts, calling it a "crazy" situation.

Despite the recent setback, Seton Hall needs only one more victory in their remaining two Big East games to guarantee a first-round bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament. The team's strength lies in its defense, ranking first in the conference for points allowed and nationally in blocks and steals. However, their offense ranks last in scoring within the Big East. In their previous encounter this season, Seton Hall had their best offensive half against Xavier, overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit to secure a strong second-half performance. Xavier, holding a 14-15 record and 6-12 in Big East play, recently snapped a three-game losing streak with a 91-84 win over Georgetown. Their leading scorer, Tre Carroll, tops the Big East with an average of 18.6 points per game. The Musketeers are aiming for an 8-9 matchup in the Big East tournament, and coach Richard Pitino is focused on finishing the regular season strong, emphasizing the need to compete against Seton Hall.