Tajuan Simpkins scored 20 of his career-high-tying 27 points after halftime, and Seton Hall opened the second half with a 14-0 run to flip the script and bury visiting Xavier 86-68 on Wednesday in Newark, N.J.
Simpkins made all five of Seton Hall’s 3-pointers as the Pirates shrugged off their 31.6% shooting in the first half with a 56.3% performance in the second.
Adam “Budd” Clark added a season-high 24 points with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals for Seton Hall (15-6, 5-5 Big East), which ended a four-game losing streak.
Tre Carroll scored 22 points in the first half but was held scoreless in the second half for Xavier (11-10, 3-7), which has lost six of eight. Carroll added five rebounds and lost six turnovers.
Jovan Milicevic scored 16 points and Isaiah Walker had 13 for the Musketeers, who shot a sizzling 56.7% before halftime and just 33.3% after. They lost 19 turnovers that Seton Hall converted into 24 points.
To open the second half, Simpkins got to the rim for a pair of baskets while the Pirates applied their full-court press after every made shot. They caused four turnovers during the 14-0 run. Simpkins’ corner 3-pointer put Seton Hall ahead 42-41, and he added two free throws before Walker ended the run with a game-tying three at the 15:32 mark.
But the Pirates weren’t done. They scored the next nine points, making it a 23-3 start to the second half.
The Pirates led 74-63 following Simpkins’ fifth triple with 5:03 to play. Walker got a quick five points for Xavier, including a fastbreak 3-pointer, but Clark went iso to get a baseline jumper for an eight-point lead with 3:07 left.
Xavier did not score again, going 0-for-6 in the final 4:11. Seton Hall ended the game on a 12-0 surge.
Carroll knocked down his first five shot attempts, including nine points in a row, to establish a 20-7 Xavier lead. Seton Hall managed to claw within seven but Roddie Anderson III swung momentum back the visitors’ way with a steal and one-handed dunk, plus the foul.
Twice, the Pirates strung together a few good plays, and twice, Carroll quashed those runs with a dagger three. The latter put Xavier ahead 41-30 at intermission.
–Field Level Media
