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TagsBY MATT SUGAM
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
SOUTH ORANGE – When they found out their bubble had burst shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday evening, no one took it harder than Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope. The two seniors had seen their final NCAA Tournament chance slip out of their grasp.
Neither had ever been a part of March Madness, but they were the sole reason why Seton Hall were even in the conversation late in the year when no one thought they’d come close to it as the season began.
After pummeling St. John’s a month ago, a loquacious Theodore shared his dreams of making the NCAA Tournament. He said he was so close he could taste it. The point guard was just a few wins away from having his dream of walking out on the court and seeing the blue bubble with white lettering that read NCAA become a reality.
But the selection committee dashed those dreams on Sunday. So instead, Theodore was walking out onto the familiar floor of Walsh Gym. He still saw a blue and white logo at center court, but it was the Pirate logo he's seen on a daily basis over the last four years.
“Obviously, we're over the NCAA Tournament,” Theodore said. “We didn’t get picked. It was tough that night, but obviously we got to move on and get ready to come in here and play Stony Brook.”
And it was a tough, gritty fight with the Seawolves.
While Seton Hall would make a few mini runs, they’d never pull away from Stony Brook in the 63-61 win. The Pirates would have the upper hand in just about every statistical category.
The one place they fell short was rebounds. Stony Brook held a 42-22 edge including, 18-2 on offensive rebounds.
“They destroyed us on rebounding,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “That was a worry from the start.”
One thing Willard didn’t have to fret over was the play of his two seniors. Despite their disappointment from Sunday, the two didn’t let it show as they carried the Pirates, much like they did all season. They’d combine for 41 points while Pope pulled down 9 rebounds, and Theodore dished out 6 assists.
“I’m proud of the way these guys came out and played,” Willard said. “We were all extremely disappointed on Sunday and to come out and give that effort [I’m proud].”
And now it’s on to the next one. Without a Final Four appearance to pursue, the Pirates are focused on getting back to Madison Square Garden and getting a championship, albeit not the one they were originally hoping for.
“The mentality is to win a championship,” Theodore said. “We didn’t get into the NCAA Tournament. That’s over. Now we’re trying to win the NIT and our next goal is to win the next game.”
For more Seton Hall basketball coverage follow Matt Sugam on Twitter @MattSugam and on Facebook
