Xavier-Seton Hall game ends with heated scuffle
No. 16 Xavier’s much-needed triumph over Seton Hall on Friday night had an ugly ending when players from both teams came together in front of the scorer’s table after Musketeers safeguard Souley Boum and Seton Hall freshman Jaquan Sanders began jawing.Coaches and colleagues did their best to separate the 2 after both players traded words with a couple of seconds remaining, but for a minute it appeared things would escalate.Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway was unhappy about a 3-pointer Boum attempted with Xavier ahead 82-57 with 22 seconds to play. Holloway waved his arms and would not shake hands with Xavier coach Sean Miller after the game.Boum and Sanders were given technical fouls. Seton Hall forward KC Ndefo, who had fouled out
, was ejected for leaving the bench.Boum said Pirates players were acting difficult in the closing seconds and his group was not going to mean it.
“Just two groups getting after it,” Boum said after Xavier (21-8, 13-5 Big East)beat the Pirates 82-60 for its
2nd win in five games.” Those [guys] act like they are difficult and all that. But I’m not going for that. This group is not going for that. We’re not going to let nobody punk us on or off the court.”Miller stated he didn’t know what happened at the end and he was simply happy to get a win. He downplayed the Holloway brushoff.”I do not have problems with any coaches,”Miller said.Holloway apologized for the method the game ended.
“That ought to never ever happen. As the head coach, I take full responsibility for that. My guys got ta do better, I got ta do better
, it will never happen again,” Holloway stated, including his team got beat in all phases and nobody played well adequate to be interviewed.Boum scored 23 points and Colby Jones included 19 for the Musketeers, who played without 2nd leading scorer and leading rebounder Zach Freemantle for the seventh straight game.Freemantle is making development and Miller hopes he will be all set for the Big East tournament.Dre Davis scored 13 points off the bench to lead Seton Hall (16-13, 9-9 ). Sanders equaled his profession high with 11. The Pirates played without point player Kadary Richmond, sidelined by a back injury.Trailing 40-21 at halftime, Seton Hall threatened to make it a game in the opening minutes of the second half by starting with a 12-1 run to pull to 41-33 on Femi Odukale’s basket inside.Boum struck a 3 to begin the definitive Xavier spurt and Jones followed with a three-point play and 2 totally free throws in helping the Musketeers open a 53-33 lead. It just got worse for the Pirates after that.” We had a response, “Boum stated.”We ain’t got time to give a group momentum like that. That very first four minutes was 12-1. We can’t do that, particularly on the path that we are on. However I’m glad we managed it. We bounced back, we took the punches and we did what we’re supposed to.” The Associated Press added to this report