Seton Hall Basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout loss to Creighton Bluejays

Slow Start

Slow starts have been a lingering problem for the Pirates over the years. After stringing together a few strong wins it felt like Seton Hall finally kicked the trend of starting slow. This was not the case against Creighton. The Pirates started off 1/7 from the field and ended their night shooting a demoralizing 33% from the floor. Before the game even started it felt like the Bluejays were up by double digits.

Even as the team tried to claw back into the game their slow start all but sealed their fate before the eight-minute mark in the first half. As time continued to run off the team was able to cut it down every so often to single digits before the lead ballooned again to a much wider margin.

A team lead by seniors needs to find someone to get them a basket in the early goings of the game. Playing with a starting lineup full of veterans, lead by NBA prospect Sandro Mamukelashvili you have to fight to stay in the game early on. Stagnant offense, settling for jumpshots, and not finishing around the rim when you get inside will ensure a game is all but lost almost immediately.

While a better start may not have saved them from a loss tonight it surely could have helped prevent the blowout. In the future, the Pirates need to work on converting easy looks to help them get into the flow of their offense. If they have to try to dig themselves out of massive deficits for the rest of the season, they certainly won’t see March.