Kyle McAlarney, a sophomore with some critical game experience, sat at the end of the bench in street clothes due to suspension.

Senior tri-captain Colin Falls sat in the middle of the bench, suffering from the effects of the stomach flu.

With two experienced players out Sunday against scrappy Seton Hall, Mike Brey turned to three freshmen and two sophomores, and they responded by helping lead the Irish to an 88-76 victory over the Pirates to move into a tie with Syracuse for second place in the Big East.

"We were young," Brey marveled. "I'm looking out there with (freshmen Jonathan) Peoples and (Tory) Jackson …

"But God did they play old. We were young but they played old. For a while, we had (sophomore Ryan) Ayers, Jackson and Peoples out there, and I wasn't nervous. They were making pretty darn good decisions and defending."

Brey also leaned heavily on sophomore Zach Hillesland and freshman Luke Harangody, who are now looked upon as veterans after just half a season of steady play.

Jackson and Peoples continued their stellar play at point guard, and even teamed up when Seton Hall went with a small, pressing lineup. Combined, they dished out eight assists and committed six turnovers-the latter number not that bad when you consider they played 55 minutes against a pressing defense.

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