Seton Hall men’s basketball put together one of their most complete second halves of the season on Wednesday night, rolling past Xavier 86-68 at the Prudential Center.
After trailing at halftime, the Pirates exploded for 56 second-half points behind strong guard play from juniors Adam “Budd” Clark and Tajuan Simpkins, while also locking down the Musketeers’ top scorer on the defensive end.
The win improved The Hall to 15-6 overall and 5-5 in BIG EAST play, while Xavier fell to 11-10 and 3-7 in conference action.
The first half belonged to Xavier forward Tre Carroll, who scored 22 of his team’s 41 first-half points, and controlled the pace of the game throughout the entire period. He repeatedly found open looks in transition and was aggressive at the rim, helping Xavier build a lead that reached as many as 13 points. SHU struggled offensively early, shooting just 31.6% from the floor in the opening half and trailing 41-30 at the break.
Everything changed after halftime, though, as SHU went on a pivotal 15-2 scoring run led by back-to-back baskets from Clark and Simpkins to open the second half. The run erased Xavier’s double-digit lead and energized the team and the entire arena, marking the turning point of the game.
The Hall came out with more pace and energy, shooting 56.3% from the field in the second half and outscoring Xavier 56-27 over the final 20 minutes. Clark and Simpkins led the charge, combining for 51 points in the game and controlling the tempo on both ends of the floor.
Clark finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, four steals and four assists, all while shooting 8-for-16 (50%) from the field and 8-for-9 (88.8%) from the free throw line. Simpkins added a game- and season-high 27 points off the bench, knocking down five three-pointers and shooting 9-for-17 (53%). The duo kept attacking off the dribble, which created open shots for everyone else on the floor.
“We honestly don’t like playing from behind,” Clark said. “But it’s been the situation at times, so we have to find different types of ways to win.”
Clark also emphasized his role as a facilitator in the game, him finishing with four assists, and how Simpkins took over in the second half.
“I like seeing all my guys make shots and have fun and find a way to win,” Clark said. “Tonight, [Simpkins]was the hot hand, so it was my goal to find him.”
Like Simpkins, senior Jacob Dar had his best performance of the season and made a major impact off the bench for SHU. The athletic six-foot-seven forward finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes, while shooting 4-for-7 (57%) from the field and providing energy on both ends of the floor.
Dar’s biggest moment of the game came late in the second half, when he threw down a crazy one-handed putback dunk that brought the entire Prudential Center crowd to their feet and helped seal the win for the Pirates.
After allowing Carroll to score 22 points in the first half, the Pirates completely shut him down after the break, with him not scoring and finishing with just one shot attempt over the final 20 minutes. In addition, Xavier shot only 33.3% from the field in the second half and committed several turnovers that turned into easy points for the Pirates on the other end.
“Tre Carroll is a very good basketball player. The last couple of games, he’s averaging 28 points per game,” SHU head coach Shaheen Holloway said. “He was too comfortable in the first half. In the second half, we made him play faster than he wanted to play, and we applied pressure on him.”
That pressure led to transition opportunities, which Simpkins said made all the difference for the Pirates.
“Turning up on the defensive end turns into easy offense,” Simpkins said.
The Pirates’ sixth-man, Simpkins added that his focus is on “Being ready to go when my number is called,” and to “Keep working.”
SHU also dominated the bench scoring battle, outscoring Xavier 46-20 in that department. Freshman forward Najai Hines chipped in eight rebounds and two blocks off the bench, while starting guard AJ Staton-McCray added 10 points and four steals as well.
For Clark, the second-half performance reflected the team’s mindset.
“Coach emphasized to us to play faster and push the ball at halftime, and our defense turned into offense tonight. It was up to us to make plays,” Clark said. “We’re very resilient. We’re going to fight to the end, and just keep clawing back and find a way to win.”
SHU will look to build off Wednesday night’s strong second-half showing when they return to Prudential Center on Jan. 31, for another BIG EAST matchup against Marquette (8-14, 3-8 BIG EAST). Tipoff is set for 12 p.m., and the game is another opportunity for the Pirates to gain momentum in conference play and end the month off with a win before an important stretch of road games next week.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
