Seton Hall men’s basketball dropped its-fourth straight game on Saturday afternoon, falling 67–60 to DePaul (12-8, 4-5 BIG EAST) at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
The loss moves the Pirates to 14–6 overall and 4–5 in BIG EAST play, putting the season in a concerning spot as conference play reaches its most important stretch of the season. Once again, scoring struggles and a slow start created holes too big for SHU to dig themselves out of.
The Pirates never held a lead in the game and were playing from behind from the game’s opening minutes. DePaul jumped out early and took control with strong defense, while SHU struggled to find any rhythm on offense. The Blue Demons led 30–20 at halftime, as both teams had a low-scoring first half.
SHU shot just 8-for-26 (30.8%) from the field in the first half, including 1-for-8 (12.5%) from three-point range. The Pirates had difficulty creating good looks and had to settle for contested shots late in the shot clock throughout the half. While DePaul was not dominant offensively, they did enough to build a cushion by getting to the free-throw line, shooting 10-for-12 (83.3%) through the first 20 minutes of play.
The shooting slump continued throughout the game for the Pirates. They finished the afternoon shooting 37.7% (23-for-61) from the floor and just 28.6% (4-for-14) from three. Free throws were also an issue, as the Pirates shot 58.8% (10-for-17) from the line, leaving key points on the board.
In the second half, SHU showed brief signs of life, scoring 40 points and shooting better from the field. However, every small run was answered by DePaul, who continued to get to the free-throw line and make shots when needed.
Starting junior guard Adam “Budd” Clark led SHU with 14 points and five assists, while junior sixth man Tajuan Simpkins added 14 points of his own off the bench, including three made three-pointers. Mike Williams chipped in 11 points, but no Pirate consistently took over the game when the team needed a basket.
One of SHU’s biggest issues this season has been the lack of a go-to scorer. Currently, the Pirates do not have a player they can rely on to get a bucket at any time, especially late in games.
During the 2023–24 season, when SHU went 25-12 and won the NIT, SHU leaned heavily on former Pirates Kadary Richmond and Dre Davis, two players who could create their own shots and score at will. That type of offensive player is missing from this year’s roster, and it has shown during this recent losing streak.
In his postgame radio interview with Dave Popkin, SHU head coach Shaheen Holloway expressed how upset he was with the lack of team play, which has become another major issue for the Pirates, especially during their losing streak.
“Everything was one-on-one,” Holloway said. “Everybody, now, they start getting with their people and their people are telling them they need to start doing things, and nobody listens to the game plan.
“I don’t recognize this team,” he added. “ I don’t know this team. We’re not playing like a team. We’re not playing like Seton Hall.”
The loss marks SHU’s fourth straight, and as each game goes by, the margin for error continues to shrink. The Pirates now find themselves stuck in the middle of the BIG EAST standings, with momentum moving in the wrong direction. With a difficult schedule ahead, the season is in danger if changes are not made quickly.
Looking ahead, SHU will return home for its next game at the Prudential Center on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m against Xavier (11-9, 3-6 BIG EAST). The matchup feels like a must-win for the Pirates, as they look to stop their slump and gain back their confidence with the most important month of the regular season ahead.
With the pressure mounting, SHU will need to find answers to their offensive struggles quickly, or their once promising season will slip away.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
