Seton Hall basketball: Al-Amir Dawes sparks win at Georgetown
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Sometimes it just takes one play, one shot, one boost of confidence to change the tenor of a college basketball game.
That’s what happened on the first sequence of the second half for Seton Hall Tuesday night.
After a brutal first half against a staggering Georgetown squad, Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway at the break drew up a play designed to free up junior guard Al-Amir Dawes in his favorite spot behind the arc. Thanks to a flip and screen from big man Tyrese Samuel, Dawes found space and drilled a 3-pointer from straightaway, giving the Hall a lead for good on the way to a much-needed 66-51 road victory.
“He knows I’ve been working hard outside of practice, putting up reps," Dawes said of Holloway. "He didn’t need to look at me and see if I was ready. He already knew I was ready.”
Dawes finished with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range, as Seton Hall (10-8 overall, 3-4 Big East) handed Georgetown (5-13, 0-7) its 27th straight Big East regular-season loss, extending a conference record.
Once he got going with catch-and-shoot triples and fast-break finishes, the Pirates were a different team at both ends.
“It definitely sparked up my guys," Dawes said. "They love when I’m playing like that."
This marked the 118th meeting between these programs. Georgetown leads the series 60-57 although the Hall has prevailed in 14 of the past 18. The Pirates swept the Hoyas in three meetings last year, but by a combined total of just 16 points.
This one appeared to be headed in that white-knuckle direction during a listless first half. Seton Hall fell behind by six and went into the break tied 27-27 after a brick-fest by both sides.
But Georgetown, which also played UConn, Villanova and Marquette tough for a half recently, lost track of the red-hot Dawes in the early stages of the second period. And the Newark native's makes instigated a rise in defensive intensity from the Pirates. The Hall is now 10-1 this season when holding opponents under 70 points. After limiting Butler and Georgetown to 51 points in consecutive games, the Pirates now rank 17th in the country in defensive efficiency according to the authoritative analytics website Kenpom.com.
“We’re a good defensive team when we want to be," Dawes said. "We’ve got all the talent in the world. We just have to make sure we stay connected. When we’re together, we’re a good team.”
Junior guard Femi Odukale led the defense, limiting Georgetown guard Primo Spears to 3-of-15 shooting, and finished with six points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
For the record, this marks the first time Seton Hall's first three Big East triumphs have come by double digits since the 2007-08 campaign.
3 THOUGHTS
1. Didn’t rely on Richmond
Seton Hall rode spectacular play by junior point guard Kadary Richmond to its first two Big East victories, over St. John’s and Butler. But Richmond’s finishing touch was off in this one, and that might have spelled doom earlier in the season.
Granted, the competition level must be considered here, but perhaps it’s a sign of growth that the Pirates scratched out a victory with their catalyst shooting just 1-of-10. It’s also worth noting that Richmond held his ground defensively and hit the boards hard despite the missed buckets. He ended up with eight rebounds and six assists; he's now distributed five-plus assists in six of the seven Big East contests.
2. Jamir Harris found his stroke
The postgrad guard and North Brunswick native came into the night shooting just 1-of-29 from 3-point range since the win at Rutgers a month ago. But Holloway and his teammates told him to keep firing, and Harris rewarded their faith. In the first half, when the offense couldn’t get anything going, he swished two 3-pointers to keep Georgetown from pulling away.
Harris finished with 9 points on 3-of-7 shooting from deep and also handed out two assists.
“Great to see Jamir shooting the ball like that," Dawes said. "I love it. I was encouraging him during the game -- just shoot the ball and keep your head up.”
Harris is a good guy and a good teammate who played a big role in the Hall making the NCAA Tournament last season. Maybe this can be the confidence-builder that helps him contribute on the offensive end over the next two months. If that happens, this is a different team.
3. Two down, one to go
There are no style points for conference road wins. Just get them. Seton Hall took care of business, and now comes the third leg of the bottom-of-the-Big East tour that can reset the season. After beating Butler and Georgetown, the Pirates visit DePaul (8-9, 2-4) Saturday at noon. Seton Hall’s had trouble with this game in the past, and the Blue Demons are coming off a win over Villanova.
Win Saturday, and at 4-4 in the Big East with a two-game homestand against UConn and Marquette in the wings, the reset button will have been pushed.
“We knew coming into the season we were going to have a challenge for us to merge together, when you have everyone coming from different places," Dawes said. "(Now) we’re a totally different team. I’m glad we were able to get this win on the road and remain together. The momentum, it’s good for us.”
3 QUOTES
From Shaheen Holloway’s postgame radio interview.
On the first play of the second half: “Al’s been working really hard on his shot. Talked about it at halftime. I ran a play for him coming out of the half. He hit a big shot – he’s the type of kid, once he sees the ball go in the basket, it becomes real big. It’s a team effort; the guys were looking for him.”
On the lousy first half: “First half was street basketball. I got on them at halftime.”
On Jamir Harris breaking his slump: “I told him, keep taking good shots, not just long bombs….I’m proud of him, happy for him, and we need him.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball: Al-Amir Dawes sparks win at Georgetown
