We've reached the midpoint of the BIG EAST season, and for the first time in program history, the Pirates are 8-1 through the conference's first nine games. What perhaps could be described as even more impressive than just the 8-1 start is the 4-0 start on the road. The Pirates have been fortunate enough to come away with wins at DePaul, Xavier, Butler and St. John's.



Well, The Hall is back on the road this week against two formidable foes, and it begins with Wednesday night's game at Georgetown. The Hoyas enjoyed some road success this past weekend, beating St. John's at Madison Square Garden. They are looking to continue getting back on track after a difficult start to conference play and they would like to avenge Seton Hall's win over them last month at The Rock.



What does it take to win on the road in the BIG EAST? A common dominator in Seton Hall's four BIG EAST road victories to date has been strong foul shooting. The Pirates are shooting 78.2 percent at the free throw line in those four games. They're only shooting 69.2 percent for the season.



Get to the line, make your free throws, and temper the hostile crowd. it's been a formula for success so far.



Wednesday night's affair will be nationally televised on FS1 with Brandon Gaudin and Nick Bahe on the call. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will traverse the Northeast corridor to bring you the radio broadcast on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 137, XM 202 and the Pirate Sports Network.



Three Things to Know About Wednesday's Road Game at Georgetown

1. Rebound, Rebound, Rebound

2. Need to Find That Offense

3. Forget The Past

So what everyone saw in the Xavier game has to be an anomaly. Going -29 on the boards is rough, but despite that number, The Hall still has a positive rebounding margin for the season, and the team did out-rebound Georgetown in the first meeting, 42-38. The key as always will be limiting the second chance points and that means boxing out one of the best rebounders in the league, Omer Yurtseven, who averages 3.0 offensive boards per game in conference play.When factoring in only conference games, this is a matchup of the BIG EAST's best defensive efficiency (Seton Hall) against the league's worst defensive efficiency. The Pirates have to find a way to take advantage of Georgetown's defensive shortcomings. The Hoyas are giving 74.6 points per conference game and allowing teams to shoot 43.8 percent overall and 37.6 percent from three. The Hall has to overcome its mini-offensive slump because while Georgetown's defense is statistically weak, its offense is near the top of the league in every category, including a strong 14.9 assists per conference game. The Hoyas generate an assist on 59 percent of their made field goals.Seton Hall was never going to go undefeated in the BIG EAST. Losses happen when you don't play to the best of your ability, and remember, the other team's trying to win too! So treat Wednesday's game as if you're 0-0 and not 8-1. All that matters is what the final score is in the game in front of you.