Seton Hall Beats Monmouth With Strong Second Half Defense

Seton Hall defeated Monmouth 70-58 in a nonconference matchup on Thursday night in Newark, New Jersey. The Pirates trailed by seven points at halftime but made a strong comeback in the second half. Their defense and improved shooting helped them control the game and secure the win.

TJ Simpkins led Seton Hall with 14 points. His scoring included a key three-pointer that gave the Pirates the lead for good with 15:41 left in the second half. Simpkins’ performance was supported by his teammates, who contributed important points and defensive plays to turn the game around.

A.J. Staton-McCray and Adam Clark each added 13 points for the Pirates, helping the team maintain a strong offensive rhythm. Freshman Stefanos Spartalis led Monmouth with 16 points but could not prevent the Pirates from taking control in the second half. Seton Hall improved to 4-0 this season with the win.

Monmouth scored only four field goals in the second half, as Seton Hall’s defense completely changed the momentum. The Pirates also had 13 steals and blocked 10 shots, including seven by Hines. The defensive effort stopped Monmouth from scoring effectively and allowed Seton Hall to pull away in the final minutes.

After Monmouth had built a seven-point halftime lead, Seton Hall erased it in the first 90 seconds of the second half. Elijah Fisher scored a layup, Mike Williams made a three-pointer, and Staton-McCray converted two free throws to start a 7-0 run. The Pirates never looked back after taking the lead.

Monmouth tried to stay close, with Dok Muordar dunking to make it 42-38 with 12:48 left. However, the Hawks did not score from the field again until Jason Rivera-Torres made a three-pointer with 2:53 to go. By that time, Seton Hall led by 15 points, cruising to an easy victory.

The first half was competitive, as both teams struggled to score early. The first basket came 2:44 into the game with a dunk from Jason Rivera-Torres of Monmouth. Seton Hall responded with an 8-0 run led by Staton-McCray’s back-to-back three-pointers and a dunk by Hines to go ahead 17-13. Monmouth then answered with its own 8-0 run to stay in the game.

During the first half, Seton Hall endured a 1-for-9 stretch from the field while Monmouth stayed hot, pushing the lead to 31-22 with a 7-0 run. Despite these swings, the Pirates regrouped and used strong defense and balanced scoring to dominate the second half and finish with a confident win.