Thursday’s first round matchup between Midwest No. 7 Wofford and No. 10 Seton Hall featured two of college basketball’s best shot-makers, with the Terriers being led by Fletcher Magee and Myles Powell being the Pirates’ top option. While both lived up to their respective labels, Wofford was the more balanced team offensively and ended up winning by an 84-68 final score.
Mike Young’s Terriers, the better team for much of the first half, put the game away with a 17-0 run late in the second half as Magee and Nathan Hoover knocked down some huge three-point shots.
Magee, who is now the NCAA’s all-time leader in made three-pointers (passing former Oakland star Travis Bader), shot 7-for-12 from three and finished with a team-high 24 points. Hoover, who made four of his seven attempts from beyond the arc, added 18 for the Southern Conference champions. While the shot-making ability of Magee and Hoover was fun to witness as the Terriers took control late in the second half, this is more than a jump-shooting team.
Forward Cameron Jackson was the best big man on the court, as he tallied 14 points, ten rebounds and five assists, with Keve Aluma and Chevez Goodwin also giving Wofford good minutes in the front court.
Wofford finished the game with four double-digit scorers, as guard Storm Murphy scored 11 to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Seton Hall had just one, Powell, who finished with 27 after scoring just four points in the first half.
The junior guard was kept in check during the game’s first 20 minutes, and Wofford also converted nine Seton Hall turnovers into 18 points as it took a 40-30 lead into the break. But Powell would get going, and Seton Hall’s decision to go to a full-court press took Wofford out of its comfort zone offensively. The game appeared to be headed to a close finish, but that changed when Magee and Hoover worked their magic.
Next up for Wofford, the highest-seeded SoCon representative in the conference’s history, is No. 2 Kentucky on Saturday. The Wildcats, who will likely be without sophomore forward PJ Washington as he deals with a foot injury, blew out No. 15 Abilene Christian in the first game of the night session in Jacksonville.