Seton Hall Looks to Strike Back Against Struggling DePaul

Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2026

by Thomas Mazurowski

NEWARK, N.J. – The Seton Hall Pirates (18-8, 8-7) are back home to face the DePaul Blue Demons (13-12, 5-9) in a much-anticipated Wednesday night matchup.

The Pirates are coming off of a successful trip to Indianapolis that saw the Hall take a 63-56 victory over Butler. Seton Hall stayed with the Bulldogs in the first half, even holding the lead approaching halftime, but ultimately trailed 24-23 at the end of 20 minutes.

Butler had momentum early in the second frame. A strong performance from Michael Ajayi allowed the Bulldogs to get ahead by as much as seven points. The Pirates answered with a 15 point half from AJ Staton-McCray.

In typical fashion, Seton Hall surged late, securing the lead with just under five minutes left. With accuracy from beyond the arc and a handful of turnovers, they remained ahead before pulling away in the final minute.

Staton-McCray ended the night with 19 points, followed by Mike Williams at 10. Tajuan Simpkins and Najai Hines held it down defensively, with nine rebounds and five blocks between them. Despite lacking his own production, Budd Clark was the playmaker of the night, nabbing seven assists on top of eight points of his own.

The match was a must-win not only for the Pirates’ tournament hopes, but for their confidence following recent woes. Seton Hall unnecessarily lost to Butler amidst a four-game freefall late last month.

Pride will once again take center stage against DePaul. The Blue Demons beat Seton Hall wire-to-wire last time out, 67-60, just a week removed from the Butler loss. It was not quite a blowout, but redemption should nevertheless be on the minds of the Pirates squad.

DePaul find themselves in a difficult situation as of late. The Blue Demons lost four straight before barely eeking out a win versus Creighton in their most recent matchup.

A barnburner in Chicago saw the Blue Jays leading with 71-70 with under a minute left. DePaul’s defense forced a missed shot to regain possession before calling a timeout. Brandon Maclin drove in for a layup with seven seconds left to secure the win for the Blue Demons.

The Pirates need a lead scorer to show up in this contest. DePaul caught Seton Hall at peak offensive inconsistency in their last faceoff. A solid showing from Clark or Staton-McCray, paired with a strong and physical defense, should get the Pirates across the line.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on Wednesday, with Nick DiBlasi and Jake Marcial on the call from the Prudential Center on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Thomas Mazurowski can be reached at thomas.mazurowski@student.shu.edu.

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