BOX SCORE (.html)

BOX SCORE (.pdf) 

NEWARK, N.J. – Senior Brian Laing (Bronx, N.Y.) connected on a jumper in the lane with 16 seconds left in the second half to help the Seton Hall men’s basketball team top DePaul, 73-71. Laing’s 22 points and six rebounds helped the Pirates (16-11, 6-8) end a five-game losing streak, and keep SHU in the hunt for the BIG EAST Championship.

The Pirates seemed to be in control after taking a 54-42 advantage with 11:45 remaining, but the Blue Demons (10-16, 5-9) chipped away at their deficit. A layup by Karron Clarke capped an 11-3 run to make it 65-64 with 4:54 on the clock.

After trading a pair of baskets, sophomore John Garcia (Brentwood, N.Y.) scored four straight points to give Seton Hall a 71-66 cushion with 2:17 to go.

The Blue Demons answered with a 5-0 surge over the next 1:36, and tied the game on a couple of free-throws by Draelon Burns with 41 seconds left.

On the Pirates’ next possession the 6-foot-5 Laing took advantage of a mismatch by posting up a DePaul guard, and hit the eventual game-winner.

A Laing three-pointer from the wing put Seton Hall on top 18-8 early in the first half. DePaul rallied with a quick 7-0 run to cut the deficit to three with 10:21 in the period, but the Pirates never relinquished the lead and went into the half ahead, 36-29.

Senior Jamar Nutter (Bloomfield, N.J.) connected on 5-of-9 from three-point range for 15 points. Sophomore Eugene Harvey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) distributed the ball well, handing out nine assists while committing just one turnover.

Will Walker went 5-of-5 from downtown and finished with 20 points to lead the Blue Demons.

Both teams shot well from the floor with DePaul hitting on 51 percent from the field, and Seton Hall converting on 51.9 percent of its shots. The Pirates went 7-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second half, and finished the game shooting 52.4 from three.

Seton Hall returns to action on February 26 at USF. Game-time is set for 7:00 p.m.