Pirates Aim For Another Statement Win As They Meet USC In Maui Semifinal

Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

by Caitlin Barrar

LAHAINA, H.I.– The Seton Hall Pirates (6-0) are set to face off against the USC Trojans (5-0) in the second round of the Maui Invitational Tournament Tuesday evening.

The Pirates are coming off a stunning statement win against No. 23 NC State on Monday afternoon. With their 85-74 win, Seton Hall became the first unranked team to defeat a ranked opponent this season, snapping an 96-0 streak.

Despite it being close in the first half, the Pirates were able to pull away and not look back once the final twenty minutes began as they got contributions from a number of players. Seton Hall finished the game with six players in double figures while shooting 52% from the floor.

Momentum swung the Pirates’ way right from the jump thanks to three early threes from Mike Williams III, who finished with 14 points and continued to build off his performance in the game against New Haven. 

The Pirates opened the second half with a 14-2 run, propelling them towards a victory that was sealed with an alley-oop to AJ Staton-McCray from Trey Parker. Staton-McCray led the scoring for the Hall with 22 points, eight rebounds, two blocks on 7-11 shooting with three triples.

Their defense was once again excellent in this game, capitalizing off the Wolfpack’s errors and continuing the block party. The Pirates finished this one with 19 points off of turnovers and nine blocks. They held the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Darrion Williams, to just 12 points and only two going into the break.

The Trojans have a quick turnaround in facing the red-hot Pirates. USC defeated Boise State in a close one in the game following Seton Hall. Their 70-67 victory was orchestrated by junior guard Rodney Rice, who poured in 27 points going 4-7 from beyond the arc and 11-21 from the field. Rice is tied for 39th in the country in points per game with 20.5 and is fifth in assists per game with 7.8.

The last time the Pirates clashed with the Trojans was November 2023, where USC emerged on top, 71-63. This will be only the third matchup between the two schools.

The key for the Pirates in this one is to limit the damage done behind the three point line. USC shot 48% from three against Boise St. and ranks eighth in the nation in field goal attempts per game.

However, Seton Hall should be able to play to their strengths and dominate in the paint as they did versus NC State. The Trojans allowed Boise St. to rack up 40 points in the painted area which kept the game close. Expect Najai Hines and Stephon Payne III to be crucial pieces to lead the Pirates interior offense.

The Pirates will once again look to carry their outstanding performance against NC State into their matchup with USC to advance to the championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., with AJ Rayer and Christian Oliveri on the call, and all the action can be heard on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Caitlin Barrar can be reached at caitlin.barrar@student.shu.edu.

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