SHU IMPROVES TO 7-0 WITH ROUT OF UMASS

There is not much bite in the Seton Hall pre-conference schedule this year, so their Monday night match-up with UMass had some urgency to it as the Minutemen have a solid resume as a college basketball program. The Pirates played with the sense of urgency as well as Seton Hall Dominates UMass 86-68 in a Game Players Saw as a 'Must Win' (Star-Ledger). SHU, which improves to 7-0 on the season, raced out to a 44-19 halftime lead and cruised in the second half for the win.

Sophomore transfer Herb Pope led the charge with 22 points and 15 rebounds, with 16 and 10 coming before halftime as Pope Propels Seton Hall in a Laugher (NorthJersey.com) despite battling a stomach virus that left some doubt prior to the game of his availability.

Jeremy Hazell added 21 points and Robert Mitchell scored 13 and Jordan Theodore added 12 for the Pirates. The SHU defense held UMass to a sub 30% shooting percentage, 22-75, from the field and forced 16 turnovers, many in the first half that set the tone early.

Melvyn Oliver, who was recently 'removed' from the team to concentrate on academics, returned to the team this week and played 9 minutes Monday. Oliver scored three points and grabbed three rebounds.

Seton Hall is back in action at the Prudential Center this Saturday when they host VMI. After a week off the Pirates host Temple (12/19) in a game that will mark the debuts of transfer students Keon Lawrence (who has been suspended indefinitely from the team) and Jeff Robinson (sitting out NCAA mandated period as a transfer student) as Pirates in a regular season game.

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SETON HALL IMPROVES TP 6-0 WITH ROUT OF HARTFORD

Seton Hall continued their unbeaten start, moving to 6-0 on the season, as the Pirates Overcome Slow Start to Take 89-56 Win Over Hartford (Star-Ledger). Senior guard Eugene Harvey scored 11 points and added 14 assists and four steals, leading the balanced SHU attack. Jordan Theodore provided 17 points off the bench, and Jeremy Hazell and Robert Mitchell each added 15.

Up next for Seton Hall is a contest with UMass at the Prudential Center in Newark on Monday. The Pirates close out the first semester 12/12 by hosting VMI and a week later, December 19th, SHU will host Temple. The Temple game is interesting because mid-year transfer Jeff Robinson, who was previously at Memphis, and Keon Lawrence are eligible to play. Lawrence found out yesterday that his team suspension will be lifted prior to the game with Temple and he can rejoin the team on the court.

As coach Bobby Gonzalez awaits his reinforcements, he has been trying different combinations on the court as the Seton Hall Men Audition in Victory (NorthJersey.com) by playing in different roles and combinations.

"In games like this you can do that," said Gonzalez in The Record. "You can shuffle guys in and out. You can send messages to guys. You have leeway."

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PIRATES ROUT NJIT; MORE SHU NOTES

Seton Hall improved to 5-0 by devouring the holiday pastry, otherwise known as NJIT, 93-53, before an announced Prudential Center crowd of 5,540. Herb Pope (22 points) and Jeremy Hazell (21 pts) Combine for 43 Points in the SHU Win over NJIT (Star Ledger). Jamel Jackson connected on five three pointers to account for his fifteen points.

In the game, Eugene Harvey got a quick hook and was replaced by Jordan Theodore, who also started the second half as Seton Hall Overpowers NJIT (The Record).

“He [Harvey] started the game with three turnovers and we had a little exchange,” SHU coach Bobby Gonzalez said of Harvey in The Record. “That’s part of Eugene’s makeup. Sometimes he just gets down on himself. Now I can push a button and put somebody else in. He’s got to handle that.”

Also, Ferrakohn Hall replaced John Garcia in the second half starting line-up and the Pirates put the game away with a 21-4 run after the break against the smaller NJIT line-up.

The Pirates are in action again on Thursday at home against Hartford (2-4). They are still unlikely to have Keon Lawrence in the line-up as he remains on indefinite suspension for violation of team rules which resulted from his involvement in a 2:30 AM parkway crash where he was charged with DUI. Also, Seton Hall Center Melvyn Oliver is 'Temporarily Removed' from the Team to Concentrate on Academics (Star-Ledger). The announcement came prior to the SHU win over Long Island Saturday night. The Pirates will have Jeff Robinson, a mid-year transfer from memphis, available in just over two weeks after the first semester ends, which I believe is their December 19th game with Temple, most likely their biggest test before playing Syracuse and West Virginia to open conference play later in the month. That is also the timeframe that we are hearing for Lawrence's return, although nothing officially has been announced.

The Pirates are still looking to get deeper and better...

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