Seton Hall Looks Toward St. John’s Following a Tough Conference Loss

Published: Monday, January 19, 2026

by Nick DiBlasi

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Coach Shaheen Holloway and the Seton Hall Pirates (14-4, 4-3) await a primetime matchup as they travel to Madison Square Garden Tuesday night to take on the surging St. John’s Red Storm (13-5, 6-1).

The Pirates endured a brutal 77-66 loss to the Butler Bulldogs this past Saturday afternoon at home, in a game where the Hall’s offense was nonexistent and defensive intensity was missing. Although the Pirates came out swinging with a 16-9 lead with a little over 12 minutes remaining, a combination of early fouls and sloppy shooting allowed Butler to take full advantage.

The visiting Bulldogs outmatched the Pirates from the field 45.5% to 35.9%, while also nailing their foul shots with an impressive 80.5% mark from the charity stripe. Seton Hall’s free throw woes continued with a poor 68% effort, this same aspect of the game played a crucial role in the team’s loss against UConn a week prior. 

In a game where the Pirates outrebounded the Bulldogs 45-27, they still could not keep pace with Butler and their star guard Finley Bizjack (25 PTS, 4-7 3PT) who was on fire from beyond the arc.

Perhaps one positive from an otherwise forgettable performance is that star guards AJ Staton-McCray and Mike Williams are starting to get back in the groove. Staton-McCray led the Pirates with 17 points while shooting a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. 

As for Williams, he was able to contribute double digit scoring for the second consecutive game, snapping a seven-game stretch without doing so. Even with a poor defensive showing against Butler, Seton Hall ranks eighth in the country with a 63.8 scoring defense, which is sure to play a crucial role in their upcoming matchup.

Looking at the Johnnies, they return to the Garden following a huge win against a very good Villanova team. Coach Rick Pitino’s group was able to persevere through a hostile road environment with an 86-79 victory over their BIG EAST foe. The Red Storm have now won four straight BIG EAST contests, with three Quad 1 victories to show for in an eleven-day span, a truly remarkable feat.

Along with Pitino in his third year at the helm for the Johnnies, they are led by the one/two punch of senior Zuby Ejiofor (16.2 PPG) and Graduate transfer student Bryce Hopkins (13.6 PPG). Ejiofor capped off his 2024-25 season with an All-BIG EAST First Team selection, as well as being named the BIG EAST Most Improved Player. 

Also familiar with BIG EAST basketball coming over from Providence, Hopkins was a difference maker in Rhode Island during his first season with the Friars. Back in his sophomore campaign, Hopkins was named to the first team All-BIG EAST that season, however, injuries have hurt Hopkins over the past few seasons, only playing in 17 games during his junior and senior years.

Both stars made tremendous contributions during the Nova game with Hopkins netting a team high 20 points for his third 20-plus point outing of the season. The Red Storm had four players in double-digit scoring, and Ejiofor was another offensive force with 17 points and seven rebounds. The center has now reached double digit scoring for the eighth straight game.

After losing their national ranking this week, the Pirates hope to bounce back against their BIG EAST rival on Tuesday night in The World’s Most Famous Arena. All the action will be heard live on 89.5 FM with a veteran booth consisting of Joe Morales and Lauren Reese. Pregame coverage will begin sharply at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 7:00 pm scheduled tip.

Nick DiBlasi can be reached at nick.diblasi@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: sports,