Seton Hall men’s basketball stayed unbeaten with a 70–58 win over Monmouth University on Thursday night, but it took a major second-half push to get there.
The Pirates went into halftime down 34–27 and looked slow on both ends of the floor. Monmouth shot over 50% (12-for-23) in the first half while SHU struggled to finish around the rim and create good looks.
Everything changed after the break. The Pirates outscored the Hawks 43–24 in the second half, playing with much more energy, especially on defense. The Pirates pressured the ball, closed out on shooters, and forced Monmouth into just four made field goals in the entire second half.
After the game, Adam “Budd” Clark said the team knew they were not playing with enough intensity to start.
“Coach [Shaheen Holloway] got on us for our intensity level, but the players were the main ones being vocal,” Clark said. “We all knew what we had to do, so let’s go out there and do it.”
Clark backed up his words with a season-high 13 points, six assists, and four steals.
SHU junior Tajuan Simpkins shooting over a Monmouth defender | Photo via Ace Crawford | The Setonian
Before heading to his postgame press conference, Monmouth Head Coach King Rice was seen talking with Clark and teammate Tajuan "TJ" Simpkins near the hallway. When asked about the moment, Rice said he usually does not speak to opposing players after games, but he and coach Holloway are good friends. Because of their relationship, Rice said he felt comfortable giving the young SHU guards a little advice about their games.
Simpkins led all scorers with 14 points, and Mike Williams chipped in 10 points—including a key three in SHU’s big second-half run. The Pirates also improved their shooting from 22% (8-for-36) in the first half to 50% (13-for-26) in the second, showing how much their confidence grew once the defense tightened up.
Freshman center Najai “Baby Shaq” Hines had another huge night, finishing with 7 points, eight rebounds, and, most notably, seven blocks—beating his previous high of six during the team’s opening game against St. Peter’s University earlier this month. His shot-blocking changed the game, especially as Monmouth tried to attack inside late. Seton Hall now leads the entire country in blocked shots, and Hines’ presence at the rim is a primary reason why.
SHU’s second-half turnaround showed how dangerous the Pirates can be when they lock in defensively. After being down seven at halftime, they played with more pride, more communication, and more toughness in the second half.
The Pirates will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup on Thursday night when they host New Haven at the Prudential Center. The Pirates will aim to stay undefeated as they continue their strong start to the season.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
