OMAHA, Neb. — The CHI Health Center will be jumping. The 17,560-seat arena will be at capacity as 11th-ranked Creighton goes for its first Big East title since joining the league seven years ago. It will be loud and hostile.
But for Seton Hall, it will be a case of been there, done that.
The No. 8 Pirates have lost just once in eight Big East road games. They’ve prevailed at the league’s toughest venues, knocking off Villanova at Wells Fargo Center, Marquette at Fiserv Forum, Xavier at Cintas Center and Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Of course, the stakes weren’t nearly as high as they will be Saturday afternoon. A victory would give Seton Hall its first outright Big East regular season crown since 1993 and the top seed in next week’s conference tournament. A loss, coupled with a Villanova win at Georgetown, and the Pirates will be the third seed.
“I love the mindset of our team,” coach Kevin Willard said in a phone interview. “Obviously, they were disappointed losing on Senior Night, but we lost to a great team [in Villanova] who played terrific. This morning they came in with a great attitude, and they’re excited about the opportunity. They’re ready to roll.”
The Pirates (21-8, 13-4) have performed nearly as well on the road as at home, 10-4 as visitors and 11-4 in their own building. A simple look at superstar guard Myles Powell’s splits reveals why the Pirates are so successful away from home.
The Big East Preseason Player of the Year is averaging 16.1 points while shooting 31.5 percent from the field in nine Big East contests at Prudential Center. In eight road games in the league, he’s scoring 27.1 points while shooting 45.9 percent from the field.
“I just think he’s a little more focused on the road,” Willard said. “At home, you have fans, you have family, all that stuff going on. On the road, he’s a little bit more relaxed.”
Last Saturday, on Marquette’s Senior Day, Powell had 28 points and five assists. He went off for 29 points apiece in road wins at St. John’s and Butler. He buried Georgetown with 34 points.
Powell struggled in the first matchup against Creighton in Newark on Feb. 12, shooting just 3-of-16 from the field in an 87-82 setback. Seton Hall’s other star, junior Sandro Mamukelashvili, was limited to 19 minutes because of foul trouble, yet still scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds. The undersized Bluejays didn’t have an answer for the versatile 6-foot-11 forward, who has emerged as Robin to Powell’s Batman since returning from a fractured right wrist five weeks ago.
“Because of the way he’s playing, he’s become a huge factor for us,” Willard said. “When they went small [the first game against us], and he was out of the game, it really hurt us.”
Seton Hall wasn’t expecting to have to win this game to claim the league crown. The Pirates had a chance to clinch it Wednesday on an emotional Senior Night, only to fall two points short against Villanova, as Powell shot 5-of-18 from the field.
“I’ll be ready for Creighton on Saturday,” the senior said afterward. “I’ll do my best to lead this team like I’ve been doing all year, to lead them to a championship.”