Butler Snaps Drought in Win Over Pirates

Published: Thursday, January 16, 2025

by AJ Rayer

INDIANAPOLIS – The Seton Hall Pirates (6-11, 1-5) could not overcome a 10-point second-half deficit Wednesday night, falling 82-77 to the Butler Bulldogs (8-10, 1-6). The Bulldogs snapped a nine-game losing streak and secured their first BIG EAST win.

The Pirates were shorthanded Wednesday, as graduate guard Dylan Addae-Wusu was ruled out with a foot injury and did not travel to Indiana. Freshman Jahseem Felton started in his place and scored six points in 19 minutes.

The Pirates struggled for most of the first half but stayed within striking distance thanks to quick scoring bursts from Scotty Middleton and Chaunce Jenkins. Jenkins led Seton Hall with 11 points in the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, the Pirates appeared to be outpaced by Butler until the seven-minute mark, when they went on a scoring run and cut Butler's lead to two points with just under two minutes remaining. Patrick McCaffrey halted the momentum with a clutch floater off the glass for Butler, extending the lead to two possessions.

On the next possession, Isaiah Coleman missed a crucial 3-pointer for Seton Hall, and the Pirates were forced to foul. Butler didn’t give Seton Hall another chance to tie, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.

Jenkins led Seton Hall with 21 points, while Scotty Middleton went a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, finishing with 14 points. Prince Aligbe, who sat out a portion of the second half due to foul trouble, was still effective on offense, scoring 12 points in just 15 minutes.

A total of 11 Pirates saw action for Shaheen Holloway in the loss, partially due to foul trouble throughout the game. Butler went 22-for-28 from the free-throw line and reached the bonus early in both the first and second halves.

The main issue for the Pirates throughout the matchup was their interior defense. The Pirates’ bigs struggled to contain Pierre Brooks and Andre Screen. Screen, notably, contributed 16 points off the bench for the Bulldogs.

Coach Holloway discussed the team's performance and defense after the game, saying, "It’s super frustrating to coach this team because we’re not that far off."

He added, "Some guys are just playing for stats; they’re not defending. I’ve got a guy who hasn’t defended in three games, and that’s not his character. It’s not. But that’s where we are right now."

The Pirates will have an opportunity to get back in the win column at home when Kadary Richmond and St. John’s visit the Prudential Center on Saturday night. Joe Morales and Michael Federico will call the game for WSOU 89.5 FM at 8 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 7:30 p.m., hosted by Michael Bellefmini and Bobby Steiner.

AJ Rayer can be reached at alexander.rayer@student.shu.edu. 

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