To get the prize Seton Hall basketball seeks this winter — the Big East’s regular-season title — you have to win at least a few games on the road.

The Pirates logged a big one Wednesday.

The Hall (11-4, 3-0) took it to Xavier 83-71, running its winning streak to five games and moving into a tie for first place in the league with surprising Providence.

The Musketeers (12-4, 1-2) had won 13 straight home games.

Winning: Kevin Willard hits a coaching milestone

Looking very much like his old self, senior guard Myles Powell chalked up 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and four assists.

In his postgame radio interview, Hall coach Kevin Willard spent time criticizing aspects of his team's performance, which tells you where he thinks this group can go in March.

“We’ve got to get better defensively at the end of these games, not allowing threes and just understanding pacing a little bit better against pressure," Willard said. "We’re in a good spot but we’ve got to get better. I still think we’re not where we need to be in certain aspects. I thought we rebounded the ball better. We’ve got to stop turning the basketball over.”

The Pirates have started 3-0 in league play for just the fourth time in program history (2017-18, 1998-99, 1992-93) and won its first two conference road games for just the second time in the Big East era (the 1999-2000 Sweet 16 squad was the other, starting 3-0 on the road).

Seton Hall basketball: Jersey legend Tim McLoone will give you the assist

Seton Hall is now 12-9 all-time against Xavier in a series that dates back to 1948.

In terms of NCAA Tournament resume, the Pirates are 6-4 in the most important metric: combined record vs. quadrant 1-2 opponents. That’s a strong tally of wins with two months left in the season.

There was good off-court news as well: Pirates radio broadcaster Dave Popkin said Sandro Mamukelashvili, the program’s top forward, is getting his cast removed Thursday. The junior has been sidelined four weeks with a broken bone in his non-shooting wrist. That bodes well for a return to the court soon.

The stage is set for a raucous Rock of 12,000-plus fans when Marquette (11-4, 1-2) comes in Saturday at 4 p.m. (CBS Sports Network).

THREE THOUGHTS

1. Hustle set the tone. From the start the Pirates were deflecting passes, blocking shots and beating Xavier on the glass. There are two ways to win on the road at this level: outwork the host or shoot the lights out. The Hall brought the hard hats and Xavier couldn’t respond until it was too late.

2. The ball-sharing is as good as it’s been. Credit Myles Powell here, recognizing that his teammates had gained some confidence in his absence. He's getting his points within the flow of the game instead of trying to put it all on his shoulders. When the broadcasters say someone scored a “quiet 12 points” in a half, that means they’re blending in as the whole team benefits. He looked every bit the All-American and Big East Player of the Year.

3. The junkyard dog is biting. When Mamu went down, the hope was that someone would grow from the additional minutes — but do so quickly, because this team is designed to win big now. That someone is Jared Rhoden. Slowed in the offseason by a high-ankle sprain, the sophomore forward has been the team’s best rebounder and is starting to assert himself on offense. He racked up 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, grabbed four boards (three offensive) and two steals in his best all-around performance.

Jerry Carino's ballot: Associated Press Top 25 basketball poll

THREE QUOTES

(From Kevin Willard’s postgame radio interview with Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin.)

1. On Myles Cale’s defense against Xavier star Naji Marshall (15 points on 3-of-10 shooting): “He was phenomenal. He’s one of the best defenders in the league and doesn’t get credit for it. Every stat sheet I’m looking at now he’s plus-15 . . . Early in the game the job he did on Naji changed the momentum.”

2. On Myles Powell returning to form: “I’ve changed his warm-up routine. He goes a little too hard in warm-ups. I decided to shut him down I warm-ups. I did it at DePaul and I did it tonight. He uses too much energy during the game; I don’t need him warming up hard before he game.”

3. On Jared Rhoden: “He’s getting back to where he was in the summer. He was our second-best player in the summer. Once he gets a feel for when to shoot it, you’ll see him get more opportunities. But he’s driving the basketball with much more control.”

DEHERE WATCH

Where does Myles Powell stand on Seton Hall's career scoring list?

1. Terry Dehere 2,494

2. Nick Werkman 2,273

3. Jeremy Hazell 2,146

4. Greg Tynes 2,059

5. Dan Callandrillo 1,985

6. Andre McCloud 1,976

7. Myles Powell 1,941

8. Mark Bryant 1,906

9. Andre Barrett 1,861

10. Khadeen Carrington 1,846

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.