Myles Powell got a reprieve, and the rest was history

The season has been a dream, with a nightmare always uncomfortably near.

For as much as Seton Hall’s supporting cast has learned and improved and grown, Myles Powell is still asked to spend almost every game walking a tightrope with his team on his shoulders. Finally, the team had to figure out how to get across without him.

With Seton Hall trailing by three, and just over 12 minutes left in the second half of the Big East Tournament semifinal, Powell had received a technical foul, and was on his way to the locker room, heartbroken after being one of four players ejected during a minor scuffle with Marquette. Or so he thought.

The run was over. His moment had passed. The legend wouldn’t live another day.

“It was crazy,” Powell said. “I felt like I let my teammates down.”

Less than a minute later, Seton Hall assistant Duane Woodward ran through the tunnel, and caught up with the star.

“He just said, ‘Coach said come back out.’ Once I heard that, I’m wiping my tears, ‘Come back out?’” Powell said. “So I ran back out. I was just happy they gave me a second chance.”

In an evening marred by official blunders, Powell had been mistakenly sent away, with an earlier flagrant foul confused with a technical.

Powell walked back to the bench. The sellout crowd erupted. The star sat down with four fouls, waiting for his number to be called.

Then, Gerry McNamara and Kemba Walker would have to make room.

Following a frustrating first half in which Powell was harassed and produced more turnovers (three) than field goals (one), the junior guard brought the third-seeded Pirates back from a 12-point deficit and scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Seton Hall to an 81-79 upset over the second-seeded Golden Eagles on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Just one night earlier, Powell sent shivers down the spine of whichever 7- or 8-seed awaits in the NCAA Tournament, following his record-setting 29-point first half in a win over Georgetown.

“We’re led by a phenomenal player, just like we were with Isaiah [Whitehead] … he’s kind of done the same thing as Isaiah,” said coach Kevin Willard, comparing Powell with the leader of the 2016 conference tournament title team. “He’s kind of put the team on his back and stayed with it. It’s a testament to him that he’s an emotional kid, and he’s our leader, and he’s done a phenomenal job.”

It was alarming how easily Marquette silenced Powell early, and displayed the blueprint to beat Seton Hall, throwing relentless pressure and double teams at the Big East’s second-leading scorer and forcing any of his other teammates — none averaging more than 11 points — to fill his sneakers.

It is part of what has made the season in South Orange so exhilarating — and so fragile — a reminder of how mediocre the season was supposed to be, how special it has been and how amazing it is that so much more remains possible.

Because Powell makes it possible.

There were back-to-back 3-pointers and a stretch of eight straight points giving Seton Hall its first lead, 46-44, with 14:56 remaining. While Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard made 1-of-15 shots, Powell proved to be the best player on the floor, hitting 5-of-10 3-pointers — including another set of back-to-back 3-pointers to put Seton Hall back on top 64-63 with 6:20 left — and throwing one of his seven assists for an alley-oop to Romaro Gill with 1:43 left which put the Pirates up four.

The team with one returning starter from last season is headed to a fourth straight NCAA Tournament. The team picked to finish eighth in the Big East is headed to its second conference tournament title game in four years.

The team that entered the year with house money now believes it shuffles the cards.

Powell has that power.

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