NEWARK, N.J. -- Seton Hall, needing a win to keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive, closed on an 18-0 run and upset No. 16 Marquette 73-64 on Wednesday night.
Myles Powell had 10 straight points in the run, tying it at 64 with 2:55 to play and hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:28 left.
“That’s a big one just because of where we are this time of year and how good of a team they are,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. “When you look at seedings, it’s so jumbled up, and getting a win like this just helps enormously.”
Seton Hall (17-12, 8-9 Big East) snapped a three-game losing streak and handed Marquette (23-7, 12-5) its third straight loss.
Pirates forward Michael Nzei hit four free throws in the final minute, and guard Jared Rhoden added two.
Sam Hauser led Marquette with 25 points, but the big thing was Seton Hall’s defense on Big East Conference scoring leader Markus Howard. Howard came in averaging almost 26 points in league action but was limited to six points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Seton Hall trailed 59-46 after Hauser hit a shot midway through the second half, but the Pirates finished with a 27-5 run, holding Marquette without a point for the final 4:40.
Despite committing 14 turnovers and getting only three points from Howard, the Golden Eagles led 37-31 at the half, thanks in large part to Hauser. Hauser scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and grabbed seven boards, helping Marquette hold a 27-13 edge.
The Pirates’ problem in the first half was that Nzei picked up two early fouls, with the second coming on a double technical foul when he and Theo John faced off after a basket.
BIG PICTURE:
Marquette: The Golden Eagles need Seton Hall to beat visiting Villanova on Saturday and win their game against Georgetown to share the regular-season conference title.
Seton Hall: The Pirates need another win or two to get into the NCAA tournament.
UP NEXT
Marquette: Close regular season at home against Georgetown on Saturday
Seton Hall: Close regular season at home against No. 23 Villanova. The Wildcats have clinched at least a share of the Big East regular-season title.