Seton Hall men’s basketball defeated Butler on Sunday night, behind a 19-point, five-rebound performance from graduate guard AJ Staton-McCray, who picked apart the defense in the hard-fought BIG EAST road win at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Pirates (18-8, 8-8 BIG EAST), who won the NIT just two years before at the very same court, were able to take the revenge game against the Bulldogs (13-13, 4-11 BIG EAST) behind excellent shooting from range in the second half. The win marked their second win in a row after their 87-80 win over Providence on Feb. 12.
In a heavily defensive matchup, Staton-McCray was ultimately the shock collar for the Bulldogs, facilitating much-needed offense in the second half.
Butler matched the defensive caliber of the Pirates from the first whistle, forcing a defensive showdown in Indianapolis. The Pirates were held to only 23 points in the first half by the Butler defense, as the Bulldogs led 24-23 into halftime.
The Pirates needed someone to break the ice on the offense—and Staton-McCray was that someone.
Both Staton-McCray and junior guard Mike Williams, who was a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, rained trifectas on Butler to tip the scales in the mid-second half. The Hall struggled against the Butler defense going into the late second, but on-the-fly adjustments from the Hall after rallying behind Staton-McCray allowed them to more than double their first-half three-point percentage, going from 33.3% accuracy in the first half to 80% in the second half.
Butler forced 14 total game turnovers on The Hall and held a recently dominant Adam “Budd” Clark to just eight points after he scored a career-high 31 last time out.
SHU’s defense particularly struggled against star Butler forward Michael Ajayi, who dropped a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Pirates ultimately won on the defensive end, though, recording 14 total team blocks behind paint defenders freshman Najai Hines (five blocks) and senior Stephon Payne (three blocks). They also had 13 total steals in the game, tying their season-high for a single game this season.
In his first start for the Pirates, junior guard Tajuan Simpkins made an impact from everywhere on the hardwood, recording eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Brooklyn native showed his hustle and playmaking capabilities all game, accounting for 18 of the Pirates’ total points and assists while also leading the team in rebounds.
Though his hot hand seemed elusive all game, Clark came up big down the stretch, sinking a tough pull-up jumper off the glass to put the Hall up 60-56 with just over a minute to go in the game. The Bulldogs would not recover, falling to the Pirates down the stretch, 63-56.
With the win, SHU kept their NCAA Tournament hopes alive by earning a Quad 2 victory. The Pirates will return home to the Prudential Center to play the DePaul Blue Demons (13-12, 5-9 BIG EAST) onFeb. 2nd. Their homestand will continue Feb. 21, when the Pirates also host the Georgetown Hoyas (also 13-13, 5-9 BIG EAST)
Christian Hui is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at christian.hui@student.shu.edu.
