The next time Seton Hall has the ball late in a game with the outcome hanging in the balance, its opponent would be wise not to leave Sterling Gibbs free.
The junior guard has proven he has a knack for hitting huge shots in such white-knuckle situations.
Gibbs added to his late-game legacy on Saturday afternoon at Creighton when he asked Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard to design a play that would get him a look at a 3-pointer with the Pirates down two entering their final possession. The outcome of the play validated Gibbs' confidence as he buried an off-balance pull-up three with 2.1 seconds left to lift Seton Hall to a 68-67 road victory.
Saturday's game-winning shot was eerily reminiscent of the one Gibbs sank against Villanova last March in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. That shot was a step-back jumper at the buzzer from just inside the top of the key to give the Pirates a 64-63 win over the league's top seed.
There's a good chance Seton Hall won't find itself facing the Big East's best team in the quarterfinals this March, and Gibbs is a huge reason for that. The Big East player of the year candidate is averaging 16.0 points per game and has elevated his play since elite freshman Isaiah Whitehead got hurt last month, enabling the Pirates to start 3-1 in league play and claim a share of first place.
Gibbs was at his best Saturday against a Creighton team that lost Austin Chatman and Isaiah Zierden to first-half injuries but still put up a great fight. The junior guard led Seton Hall with 22 points on only 16 shots, none bigger than the 3-pointer that provided the difference between a deflating loss and a critical road win.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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