KEY POINTS
- AJ Staton-McCray sparked a second-half surge with 15 of his 19 points to lead Seton Hall over Butler.
- The Pirates avenged an earlier season loss by holding the Bulldogs to just 30 percent shooting at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
- Despite a 21-point double-double from Michael Ajayi, Butler suffered its sixth consecutive conference defeat.
Seton Hall relied on a massive second-half performance from AJ Staton-McCray to secure a 63-56 comeback victory over Butler on Sunday night. Playing in the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Pirates overcame a sluggish start and a seven-point second-half deficit. The win moves Seton Hall to 18-8 overall and 8-7 in Big East play. It also serves as revenge for an 11-point home loss to the Bulldogs earlier this January.
The game began as a defensive struggle with both teams enduring long scoring droughts. Butler utilized a 13-2 run late in the first period to grab a 24-18 lead. However, the Bulldogs struggled with efficiency, hitting only 28 percent of their shots before the break. Seton Hall managed to narrow the gap to a single point by halftime.
Butler appeared to regain control early in the second half, stretching their lead to 30-23. The Bulldogs maintained a 47-40 advantage with under ten minutes remaining following a slam by Yohan Traore. That moment triggered a dominant response from Staton-McCray. The graduate guard scored 13 points in a five-minute window to swing the momentum permanently toward the Pirates.
Seton Hall’s defense proved just as critical during the final stretch. The Pirates limited Butler to making only one of their final nine shots from the field. While Butler’s Michael Ajayi delivered a stellar 21 points and 12 rebounds, he lacked support from an injury-depleted roster. The Bulldogs played without several key starters, including leading scorer Finley Bizjack.
Secondary scoring from Mike Williams III helped Seton Hall seal the result. Williams contributed 10 points, including nine in the final 11 minutes of play. Freshman Najai Hines anchored the interior defense with five blocks. Seton Hall shot a collective 49 percent from the floor, including a blistering 58 percent in the second half.
The loss marks the sixth straight for Butler, who now falls to 13-13 on the season. Seton Hall, conversely, has won two games in a row as they fight for postseason positioning. The Pirates now look ahead to a Wednesday matchup against Georgetown. Meanwhile, Butler continues to search for answers amid a mounting injury crisis in their backcourt.
