All too familiar: Seton Hall nips USF, 79-75

TAMPA – It wasn’t a one-point loss, as the last two games had been for USF, but when the Bulls fell 79-75 to Seton Hall in the Sun Dome on Tuesday night, was every bit as agonizingly, frustratingly, historically close.

Down two with 15 seconds to play, USF center Kentrell Gransberry missed two free throws, part of a 2-for-6 effort at the line for the Bulls in the final 1:20. Seton Hall hit its last four free throws in the final 31 seconds, clinching a win that officially eliminates USF from the Big East tournament.

“It seemed like the breaks didn’t go our way, but we’ve got to create our own breaks, too,” coach Stan Heath said. “We still had great chances … it’s just the one or two right there that eluded us. A lot of teams that are young and figuring things out go through these things, though you hope you don’t have to.”

The loss spoiled a superb night for USF guard Dominique Jones, who scored a career-high 31 points, the most by any freshman in the Big East this season.

“Jones was so spectacular that we could not stop him,” Pirates coach Bobby Gonzalez said.

But Jones missed a free throw of his own that would have tied the game with 1:20 to play, and had a layup blocked with 50 seconds left. Those, unfortunately, are the memories that linger after the loss.

“All night, you think about, ‘Oh, if I would have done this different, if I would have done that different, we would have come out with a win,” said Jones, who set USF’s freshman season scoring record, set by B.B. Waldon in 1998-99. “All that individual stuff, it means something to me, but I can always trade stuff in for a win.”

The Bulls (11-17, 2-13) lost to Connecticut in overtime by one point on Feb. 16, then again by one point at Cincinnati on Feb. 20.

In USF’s history, this run of three losses in 11 days by a combined six points is unprecedentedly close. Of 174 previous stretches of three consecutive losses, dating back to 1971, none had been lost by less than a combined eight points.

The Bulls trailed the entire second half, by as much as nine, after a free throw off an Amu Saaka technical foul put Seton Hall up 58-49. The Bulls clawed back, twice taking 3-pointers that would give them the lead, but both missed.

Chris Howard missed a free throw with 34 seconds to keep Seton Hall up 75-73, and teammate B.J. Ajayi had the rebound before center John Garcia popped it loose. Garcia, a 55 percent shooter, hit two free throws for a four-point lead.

Jones hit a layup to pull within two with 21 seconds to play, and a backcourt travel by Seton Hall gave USF a chance to tie with 16.2 left. Gransberry, who had 15 points, missed his free throws, and a wild outlet pass from the Pirates took a lucky carom off the backboard and to Garcia, who passed to Jeremy Hazell, who hit two free throws to put the game away.

Brian Laing had 20 of his 24 points in the first half for Seton Hall, and when USF got him into foul trouble, Jamar Nutter stepped up, scoring 16 of his 20 in a nine-minute span of the second half.

USF came in as the Big East’s worst free-throw shooting team, but was hitting 80 percent (16 of 20) until the final 1:20, when the biggest shots cost them a chance to win.

“The ones we really needed just didn’t go down for us,” Heath said.

Comments

[Reality]

Can someone get Kentrell a Vicks Lozenge?

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Kentrell missed...

Not to mention Dominique Jones missed the front end of a one and one to tie it as well.

We should be the USF missed free throws.

[G.A.]

Wasn't a 1-and-1, but he did miss a free throw with 1:20 to play.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Yeah -- i sound like an idiot.

you can't miss the front end of a one and one..

god - i am a moron.

[Reality]

So what happened to everyone's predicted sweep of Seton Hall?

What happened to 9-9?

[steve oneal]

Yeah it was another dissapointing loss, but the guys seem to be playing hard and better lately. They could have just given up with the close games they have lost lately. Yet they didn't give up and came out and played well again. The free throws are a BIG problem and needs to be corrected. It seems that a lot of teams struggle with free throws. I still believe that Heath is the right man for the job. GO BULLS!

[Josh]

Hot items for sale: Two ND vs. USF tickets...can't find these anywhere...last two seats in the house get them while they're hot. Only four cents each.

[G.A.]

Josh, that's mean. Don't forget the e-mail. Can you break a dime?

[steve oneal]

There will probably be a pretty big turn out for ND game. Too bad it will be mostly ND fans.

[DELdaBULL]

Another painful L :(

[ttommiejo]

Hey Steve you know what's strange about your comment. It's that you're right my guess is there's going to be more ND fans & I don't mean North Dakota either fans either than bull fans.

[Herman Momart]

Steve, what team would just gives up in a close game? That makes no sense, havent seen a team give up in a close game ever, no matter what sport or level.

This was a complete choke job. Shoot 80% from the free throw line and when they count you miss them. Thats bad coaching and playing. Another season down the drain and making zero noise in the big east. Never good for recruiting.

Hate to say it, but we missed out big time by not hiring Bobby huggins 2 years ago. We could have bill Walker and Michael Beasley , national exposure and a program on the rise. And though I like Heath, we are still staying idle at doormat for what feels like the past 10 years.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Brumbaugh is the answer...

Without him, its pure darkness in the Sun Dome.

I was at the game last night, and Dominique Jones is just absurd. I have no idea why he is playing for USF.

Still can't figure out how we are going to win 5 games in the Big East next year without Gransberry.

[steve oneal]

To clarify my comment for you ,Herman, I meant coming off 2 heart breaking 1 point losses and the guys came out and played hard again on Tuesday. With the season shot they still are playing hard and trying. Poor shooting from the free throw line pisses me off more than just about anything in BB. I don't believe that the coach was at the line and missed those shots, but I do believe that the coach is responsible for making his players get better and that sure includes free throws. I figured they call them free thows and award them after fouls because there is a high probability that you will make them.I don't care how good a team is, if they are poor at the free throw line it will cost them.(memphis against tenn)