Seton Hall Crushes UNLV, Advances to NIT Semifinals

UNLV Runnin' Rebels vs. Seton Hall Pirates | NIT

UNLV Runnin' Rebels vs. Seton Hall Pirates | NIT | Image: ESPN/YouTube

Al-Amir Dawes notched 21 points to lead the entire starting lineup in reaching double digits, propelling Seton Hall to a commanding 91-68 win over UNLV in the NIT quarterfinals on Wednesday in South Orange, N.J.

Kadary Richmond amassed 16 points, 10 assists, and five steals for the top-seeded Pirates (23-12), who are set to clash with Georgia in the semifinals scheduled for Tuesday in Indianapolis. The championship showdown is slated for April 4.

Dre Davis of Seton Hall contributed 14 points and seven rebounds on Wednesday, alongside Dylan Addae-Wusu with 12 points and Jaden Bediako who secured 11 points and four blocks.

Seton Hall’s dominance was evident as they made 16 out of 19 field-goal attempts during a 12:20 stretch that bridged the halves. Their shooting percentage for the game stood at 56.5 from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.

The margin of victory marked the Pirates’ largest in the tournament following an overtime victory against Saint Joseph’s and a 14-point win over North Texas.

Kalib Boone tallied 16 points and Justin Webster added 11 for UNLV (21-13), who had previously defeated No. 2 seed Princeton and Boston College to reach this stage.

Seton Hall took an early 11-2 lead when Bediako swiftly moved through the lane for a transition dunk, drew a foul, and converted the subsequent free throw.

While Seton Hall rested some starters, Webster’s layup at the 9:35 mark narrowed UNLV’s deficit to 19-14. The Pirates then restored their lead to 10 points, but Rob Whaley Jr. scored from the low block for the Rebels on consecutive possessions, making the score 24-18.

It was at this point that Seton Hall began to distance themselves. Richmond ignited a 9-2 run for the Pirates with two baskets and two assists, the latter coming from an easy steal that set up Dawes for an open corner 3-pointer.

Richmond then scored the next seven points for the Pirates, and by the time Addae-Wusu intercepted a UNLV pass and dunked at the buzzer, Seton Hall had surged ahead to a 44-26 lead.

Dawes hit three consecutive 3-pointers within the first two minutes of the second half, extending the lead to 27 points, leaving UNLV struggling to keep pace.

Despite UNLV pulling within 20 points several times, they managed to bring it to 71-52 with Kalib Boone‘s dunk with less than eight minutes remaining. Addae-Wusu then nailed a 3-pointer on Seton Hall’s following possession.

The Rebels showed some shooting prowess towards the end, with Webster and Keylan Boone sinking triples. Seton Hall’s backups, Sadraque NgaNga and Jaquan Sanders, responded with 3-pointers of their own.

 

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