The Alternative Press

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- When the Seton Hall Pirates defeated the No. 10 Connecticut Huskies at Prudential Center, the talk of New Jersey sports media was how good the Hall was.

The Pirates had improved to 13-2 after the win, were destined for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the Louis Orr days and found themselves nationally ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

The Huskies followed their loss to the Pirates with a loss to Rutgers, but found two marquee wins after that, against Notre Dame and West Virginia.

That was Jan. 3.

A month later, both teams find themselves floundering as they prepare for a game that could make or break their season.

The Pirates head to Connecticut Saturday with a five-game losing streak. The team’s defense is playing as well as it has all season, but the offense has lacked the consistency that it had during the first half of the season.

In the Hall’s loss to Louisville on Jan. 29, the Pirates shot just 28 percent from the floor. Despite improving their shooting percentage to 38 percent and an 11-point first half lead against No. 15 Marquette on Tuesday night, the Pirates could not keep the Golden Eagles off the board in the second period and lost 66-59.

Similarly, the Huskies are riding a four-game losing streak. On Wednesday night, UConn lost to No. 14 Georgetown after opening the game with a six-point lead. Connecticut remains a question mark in the Big East, as head coach Jim Calhoun has been unable to put a consistent team on the floor. To make matters worse, Calhoun announced on Friday that he was taking a leave of absence because of a lower back problem.

This will be the second time that Calhoun will miss the Pirates this season. During the first meeting, he was serving the third of a three-game suspension from the Big East. Assistant coach and former Pirate head coach George Blaney will be the fill-in.

With nine games left to play, the Pirates could be facing their last chance at a NCAA resume-building road win. After this, the remaining road games are at Rutgers, Cincinnati and DePaul.

Seton Hall senior forward Herb Pope is questionable for the game due to bruised ribs that he suffered diving for a loose ball against Marquette, and fellow senior Jordan Theodore has struggled offensively since missing a free throw in the final seconds of the Hall’s loss to the University of South Florida.

The winner of this game will be the one who controls the tempo of the game the longest.

UConn brings a fast tempo style with the ability to hit from long range with freshman Ryan Boatright, sophomores Jeremy Lamp and Shabazz Napier, and also in the paint with freshman Andre Drummond. However, in the first meeting, Napier, Boatright and Drummond combined for 15 points and the team shot 38 percent.

Seton Hall controlled the pace of the game, shot 52 percent from the floor and led by 21 points with two minutes remaining in the game.

One thing is for sure going into this game. The winner will be back on the inside track for the NCAA Tournament, while the loser will be playing for the NIT.

The game can be seen locally on SNY, or heard on the radio via ESPN-NY 1050 or 89.5 FM WSOU.

Tip-off is scheduled for noon.

Timothy LeCras is participating in a hyperlocal journalism partnership between The Alternative Press and Seton Hall University's Department of Communication & The Arts designed to give students real-world experience.