Seton Hall and Washington State Hope to Bounce Back in Maui

Lahaina, Hawaii – The Seton Hall Pirates and Washington State Cougars are looking to recover from disappointing semifinal losses in the Maui Invitational when they face off in the third-place game on Wednesday evening.

Seton Hall, after finishing last season with a 7-25 record, started the current season strong, winning its first six games. Their impressive run included an 85-74 victory over No. 23 North Carolina State in the tournament’s opening round. However, the Pirates faced a tough opponent in Southern California, losing 83-81 in the semifinals.

The Pirates held a 13-point lead during the first half against USC but could not maintain it, allowing the Trojans to close the game with a flurry of free throws, which contributed to a 38-18 disparity in attempted free throws. “Tough, tough way to lose,” said Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway, emphasizing the need for his players to learn from difficult experiences.

Star player AJ Staton-McCray has been a key contributor, scoring 22 points against NC State and following up with 17 points against USC. Adam Clark also stepped up with 18 points, but the team struggled on the boards, getting outrebounded 35-21.

Washington State heads into the matchup with a record of 3-4. They opened the tournament with a 90-85 win over Chaminade, fueled by a standout performance from Ace Glass III, who scored 26 points off the bench. Despite a strong effort from Glass in the semifinals, where he scored a record 40 points for a freshman, the Cougars fell short in a 100-94 loss to Arizona State.

Coach David Riley expressed optimism, noting his team demonstrated spirit and competitiveness throughout the tournament, but recognized the need for improvement: “The reality is you can’t give up 100 points and win too many ballgames.”

This matchup will take place at the Lahaina Civic Center at 5:30 p.m. ET, with fans able to tune in on ESPN2. Both teams are eager to leave Maui with a positive outcome and build momentum as the season progresses.