newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MIKE VORKUNOV

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

At the end it was just a microcosm of a season-long pursuit for grandeur and a propensity for falling short. Once again, Seton Hall was forced to live and die by Jeremy Hazell, as his streaky shooting and decision making led the Pirates on a roller coaster afternoon, looking akin to a lifeline that determined their NCAA Tournament chances.

By the overtime's final moments they were depending on a miracle shot from Hazell just to keep the game — and their postseason hopes — going. Instead, down three, Hazell missed a crowded corner three-pointer that banked off the glass and went halfway down before coming back out. Marquette escaped with an 84-83 victory and ostensibly put to rest any pragmatic chances that Seton Hall had of making the Big Dance.

All season long the Pirates came just short in getting that marquee win that could have stamped their resume Tournament worthy. The overtime thriller against West Virginia, a heartbreaker to Syracuse, and several more. So after wasting so many chances, and needing to win Sunday just to keep themselves on the bubble, once again they missed their shot.

BOXSCORE: Marquette 84, Seton Hall 83 (OT)

"We could be dead, we may not be," said coach Bobby Gonzalez. "But I think that was part of it, the disappointment, the stakes of the game. But I think it was more just that we could have won the game but we didn't get it done."

John Garcia said afterwards that it was a day that he will never forget for the rest of his life. From start to finish, Senior Day at the Prudential Center was at times emotional, exhilarating and in Gonzalez's case, enraging.

Seton Hall (16-11, 7-9) led for a total of 30 seconds today, falling behind 10 points in the first half and constantly scrambling the rest of the way. Still, thanks to two Eugene Harvey free throws and a missed three-pointer by Lazar Hayward at the buzzer of regulation with the two teams tied at 69, the Pirates won five more minutes to steal the game.

They quickly fell behind again and needed a bevy of missed free throws by Marquette (19-9, 10-6) and a four-point play by Hazell just to stay in it.

Hazell, who did not start because of an injured back and was scoreless in the first game, scored 12 of his 19 points in overtime. After David Cubillan missed a free throw with ten seconds remaining, the Pirates had their last gasp.

"With Jeremy I believe every shot he shoots, I believe it will go in," said Harvey, who finished with 13 points and nine assists. "But it actually did go in and then it rimmed out."

Kind of like the Pirates chances of playing meaningful basketball after the conclusion of the Big East Tournament.

They worked themselves back onto the bubble by running through the easier part of their conference schedule before falling short. From here they will need the equivalent of Hazell's four-point play to make it.

Then again that wasn't enough Sunday either.

"We know this was a tough loss and this game would have helped us a lot," said Garcia, who got the start for his last game at the Rock. "But I think we're still in a decent spot. It's not over. We still have a pulse. The great thing about the Big East is that you get a million chances."

Jeff Robinson scored a game-high and career best 25 points coming off the bench, leading four Pirates in double figures.

Before the exciting conclusion, Gonzalez provided much of the intrigue for the game with his sideline histrionics. He was called for a technical foul in the first half, with Haywood making 1-of-2 free throws. In his postgame press conference, Gonzalez insinuated in a roundabout way that there was something fishy with officiating, adding that Marquette took 12 more free throws.

"They didn't give me an explanation," said Gonzalez of his technical. "I don't need one. Basically just trying to fight for my kids. I just have a hard time with 12 more attempts and 10 more makes in a close game that's pretty evenly played. The only other thing is that we're similar teams, we're both aggressive."

He also called the difference in free throws "very discouraging."

As for the rest of the season and their postseason hopes, Theodore laid out the goal the rest of the way out.

"I would say we gotta win about 3-4 games in the Big East Tournament," he said. "The fourth game is the championship. That's the biggest one. Just get to the Championship. It can be done, we're not a bad team. We're just as good as all those other teams."

For more Seton Hall, Rutgers and Big East news, stories and updates follow Mike Vorkunov on Twitter at @Mike_Vorkunov.