Pirates Look to Finish Strong in Maui After Loss Versus USC

Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

by Chris Heite

LAHAINA, H.I. - Coming off a heartbreaking 83-81 loss to USC, the Seton Hall Pirates (6-1), will be taking on the Washington State Cougars (3-4) to find out who will take 3rd place in the Maui Invitational.

Last time out, the Pirates were defeated by two points, with the game being on the line in the final seconds.  

Looking at the stat sheet, Adam “Budd” Clark shined on the points end with a season-high 18. Clark, who fouled out in a crucial point at the end of the game, proved to be a key player in the loss for the Pirates. The future is certainly promising for the Hall with Clark at the point, and he is sure to be a pivotal player in the consolation matchup.

Right behind Clark in the USC matchup was AJ Staton-McCray who had an impressive 17 points in his 33 minutes played. For Staton-McCray, his impressive 50% from the three kept the Pirates in the game late. 

While there were great individual performances for some Pirates, they certainly had their fair share of struggles that contributed to the loss. The two major factors: rebounding and fouls.

First looking at rebounding, Seton Hall simply was outrebounded on both sides of the ball. On the offensive end, they could not get the second chance points, while on the defensive end, they gave the Trojans too many chances. In the consolation game, the Hall needs to be better rebounding.

On the other hand, the fouls simply destroyed the Pirates’ chance to win. A whopping 38 foul shots were taken by USC, with 31 being made. Simply, the Pirates cannot allow so many points from the charity stripe if they expect to win. 

While the loss certainly was tough, it does not undermine the solid start the Pirates have had this season. With a 6-1 record, and a win against a ranked opponent, Washington State will certainly have their hands full in the upcoming matchup. 

Yet, in all of the chaos there is no doubt that this Pirates team is the most exciting it has been in years. With players like Clark along with Najai Hines and others, they’ve certainly been a fun team to watch nonetheless. 

Will the Pirates get third? Or will they continue to struggle after the great triumph that was the first round of the Maui Invitational?

Find out Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m., when the Pirates take on Washington State for 3rd place, with Ryder Nuesell and Lauren Reese on the call.

Chris Heite is the Station Manager and can be reached at chris.heite@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: sports,