3 Thoughts: Seton Hall bows out in Big East quarterfinals

Myles Cale (22) led Seton Hall with 17 points, but Pirates were upended by UConn in Big East tournament quarterfinals Thursday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEW YORK — I don't think any Seton Hall fans thought it would be easy going up against UConn in the Big East tournament quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Nevertheless, I expected the Pirates to battle -- it's in their DNA, of course. 

They did, but despite that effort, they couldn't really get anything going on offense, shooting 25 percent in the opening half and falling behind early in a 62-52 loss. It was their lowest-scoring performance of the season.

Here are the short and sweet Thoughts:

- Rough and Tough

I give UConn a lot of credit for Seton Hall's slow start offensively. The Huskies took away a lot of what the Pirates want to do. They defended their screening action well, and generally got up into Seton Hall and took away most of its airspace. They were also able to recover for some blocked shots inside on the occasions that the Pirates did have it near the hoop.

There were also shots that Seton Hall normally makes that it missed. Jared Rhoden, in particular, had a number of mid-range jumpers miss the mark (1-for-7 in the first half, 2-for-13 for the game), with Tyrese Martin getting the lion's share of the responsibility, and therefore the credit, for slowing down the Pirates' forward.

It's the type of game every team has from time to time, but you just hope it doesn't happen with the season on the line in an elimination game. Add in the fact that the UConn fans, back in the building for the Big East Tournament for the first time since the Huskies’ exile to the AAC in 2013, were hyped and ready to raise hell, and it was just not Seton Hall's night.

- Missing Myles

That's what Seton Hall will do dearly when Myles Cale moves on. He singlehandedly kept the game from becoming a runaway, scoring 17 points and adding six rebounds on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting. He's been around forever, and games like tonight is where it shows. He never gets rattled by the moment, never gets intimidated by a big crowd. Some of his best games have come on the Madison Square Garden stage, and this was another one of those.

It was the fifth time in his last seven games at the Big East Tournament overall that he's scored in double figures. You figure that he will have a prominent role in the Pirates' NCAA Tournament game(s) because of that veteran savvy.

- Time To Dance

Seton Hall will now get a couple extra days of rest that head coach Kevin Willard said will greatly benefit this team, and the big front line in particular (Seton Hall struggled on the glass in both of its games this week, too). 

When it comes to postseason basketball, a lot depends on the matchup. When the Pirates learn their opponent in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, we'll see how they match up stylistically, and also how their opponent can match up with them. Seton Hall will bring toughness to the table, and a stout defense. Give Kadary Richmond some time to heal up his thumb, and the Pirates will be a tough out against whomever they play.

Tonight's game was not a great matchup for a tired Seton Hall frontline, and the Pirates just didn't make enough shots to deter UConn's aggressiveness on defense. March marches on.