An incredible first-round Battle 4 Atlantis matchup between Oregon and Seton Hall really delivered; let’s remember what went down.
Long before the national pandemic stunted the college basketball season, there was plenty of optimism and excitement during the early season tournaments. In this look at our top 40 games in the 2019-20 season, we look back to one of the more prominent non-conference tournaments. Today, we remember an outstanding first-round matchup in Atlantis.
21. #11 Oregon 71, #13 Seton Hall 69 (Battle 4 Atlantis)
November 27, 2019, Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas
In recent years, the Battle 4 Atlantis has certainly cemented itself as one of the most exciting early-season non-conference tournaments. While it may not yet have the name recognition of the Maui Invitational, the tournament certainly lived up to its reputation this season. We’ve already looked at one of these matchups, and today’s article is certainly not the final look at what became an incredible tournament.
Oregon made the trip to the Bahamas with some momentum, having already picked up nice wins over Memphis and Houston. Even though this Ducks team had lost plenty of talent, the play of Anthony Mathis and Payton Pritchard had been fantastic and this Oregon squad looked potent once more.
For Seton Hall, the story was Myles Powell, an early favorite for national player of the year. In a loss to Michigan State two weeks earlier, he had put up 37 points, and was already playing a starring role for the Pirates. Seton Hall sat at 4-1 and knew a win against Oregon would’ve been a huge catalyst moving forward.
This battle began with solid offense for both sides. Chris Duarte scored Oregon’s first 7 points while Powell made himself known right off the bat. Later on, the Ducks survived a scoreless stretch, even as Seton Hall grabbed a 6-point lead halfway into the opening period. While that lead would grow to 10 a few minutes later, the Ducks offense had an answer.
Duarte and Pritchard hit key shots while Shakur Juiston had the final four-point of a 10-0 run that tied the game again. A 3-pointer from Powell in the final minutes gave Seton Hall the lead by 4 at the end of the first half. Both teams had survived long stretches of bad offensive basketball, but this was still a ballgame.
Unfortunately, that ballgame didn’t seem to last long for the Ducks. Seton Hall came out of the locker rooms on fire from long range. The Pirates hit five long-range baskets, with four of those 3-pointers coming from Powell himself. Suddenly, Seton Hall led 49-30 with just under 17 minutes left in the game, meaning Oregon had major work ahead.
Pritchard hit a 3-pointer to stop the bleeding, but this was only the beginning if Oregon was going to get back into the game. The Ducks started converting on offense, but their defense couldn’t contain Seton Hall’s hot shooting, with Powell hitting yet another long-range shot. A 9-0 spurt by the Ducks pulled them back into the game, but Sandro Mamukelashvili’s basket and free throw made it a double-digit lead again.
Another spurt by the Ducks offense pulled them within a single possession with just eight minutes left, but once again the monster came out of Powell. He scored seven points in a hurry and rebuilt the 10-point lead for the Pirates. Unfortunately for Seton Hall, they wouldn’t make another basket for the rest of the game.
Oregon was able to contain Powell and hit a few key shots down the stretch, though Seton Hall’s lead was still four points with two minutes left. Oregon got the game tied up in the final minutes on a layup and pair of free throws from Pritchard, leaving both teams a chance to win the game. It was Shakur Juiston who came up clutch, hitting the game-winning shot with 18 seconds left, while Seton Hall missed a pair of chances at the end to win or extend the game.
Even in defeat, Powell put on a major clinic, scoring 32 points in a phenomenal effort. His second half explosion helped Seton Hall greatly extend their lead, but they couldn’t stop Oregon from whittling away. Pritchard led the way for the Ducks with 16 points, while Oregon managed the comeback while missing 12 free throws. The comeback was an impressive effort for the Ducks, who needed every point they got from Juiston and CJ Walker as well.
Though off to a 6-0 start, Oregon dropped their two remaining games in the Bahamas, losing to Gonzaga and North Carolina in close battles. A few weeks later they pulled off a great win at Michigan (a game that’s already been in our countdown) and set themselves up well for conference play. Oregon won the Pac-12 regular-season title and was the certain favorite to win the conference tournament had it not been cancelled.
Seton Hall was no doubt crushed by giving up such a large lead, but didn’t let that slow them down. They took care of business in the consolation side of the bracket. They’d pick up three top 10 wins as the season progressed while Powell continued to play a starring role. Before the Big East Tournament was cancelled, the Pirates had secured the 3rd seed and were certainly still a team many thought could make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
There’s no telling what these two teams, with their two star players, could have done had the NCAA Tournament taken place. Both Oregon and Seton Hall spent part of the season in the top 10 in the rankings and they clearly put on quite a show in Atlantis. While Powell and Pritchard both move forward, the pieces left on these teams will continue to build these programs for years to come.