Seton Hall criticizes referees following disputed decisions in defeat to UConn

Seton Hall Falls Short Against UConn

Whether or not the whistle blew in the second half, things definitely didn’t go Seton Hall’s way, leaving coach Shaheen Holloway quite unhappy.

The Pirates battled until the very end but couldn’t quite topple the No. 6 Huskies, ending up with a 71-67 defeat at Gampel Pavilion on Saturday.

Seton Hall had an eight-point lead after halftime and managed to stay ahead until the final minute. However, when Tajuan Simpkins got called for a foul on guard Solo Ball, the home team converted two crucial free throws, pushing them into the lead.

That moment sparked Holloway’s frustration as he noted the stark 21-2 discrepancy in free throw attempts during the second half, heavily favoring Connecticut.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m already feeling sick, and now this just adds to it,” Holloway expressed in a postgame chat, clearly exasperated. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. It’s just… this shouldn’t have happened.”

He pointed out that the numbers were shocking: 21 free throws for UConn, while Seton Hall only took two. “Really, how does that make sense?” he added incredulously.

As for specific plays, there was a moment where Pirates point guard Bud Clark seemed to get fouled by Cyrus Demaree while attempting a potentially game-winning three-pointer just nine seconds from the end.

In Holloway’s words: “We know the refs see the fouls. It’s pretty clear. I believe Clark got fouled, but… I don’t know. It’s hard to say for sure.”

Seton Hall (19-10, 9-9) hasn’t won at UConn since the pandemic season of 2020-21, when the venue was empty, leaving them with a dismal 0-14 record against the Huskies at their home court since 1997, as noted by reports.

“Honestly, we had a great opportunity today. We showed what we could do for 38 minutes, but we let it slip away,” Holloway said, emphasizing the effort of his team despite his own struggles with the flu that kept him sidelined for most of the week.