TJ Simpkins scored 14 points and Seton Hall held Monmouth to just four field goals in the second half to rally for a 70-58 nonconference win on Thursday night in Newark, N.J.
Seton Hall shot 22.2% from the floor in the first half compared to Monmouth’s 52.2%, which enabled the Hawks to seize a 34-27 halftime lead. The numbers almost perfectly reversed in the second half as the Pirates shot 50% while limiting the Hawks to 20% from the field.
A.J. Staton-McCray and Adam Clark added 13 points apiece for the Pirates (4-0). Freshman Stefanos Spartalis led all scorers with 16 for Monmouth (1-2), which tried to beat Seton Hall on its home floor for the second year in a row.
After Monmouth spent 20 minutes building its 7-point halftime advantage, the Pirates undid all of the Hawks’ momentum in the first 90 seconds. They went a 7-0 run as Elijah Fisher hit a layup, Mike Williams cashed a 3-pointer and Staton-McCray canned two free throws.
Seton Hall took the lead for good on Simpkins’ 3-pointer with 15:41 to go.
Dok Muordar had a dunk for the Hawks to cut the deficit to 42-38 with 12:48 left, but Monmouth wouldn’t score again from the field until Jason Rivera-Torres’ 3-pointer with 2:53 to play. By that point, Seton Hall led by 15 and cruised home.
Monmouth committed 20 turnovers that included 13 Seton Hall steals. The Pirates also swatted 10 shots, highlighted by seven from Hines.
It was a defensive struggle early as neither team made a basket until Rivera-Torres dunked off an inbounds pass under the basket 2:44 into the game.
Seton Hall had the first spurt of the first half. Staton-McCray made back-to-back 3-pointers and Hines had a monster dunk for an 8-0 run that put them ahead 17-13 at the 9:16 mark.
Monmouth answered with an 8-0 run of its own that included 3-pointers by Jack Collins and Spartalis.
Seton Hall endured a 1-for-9 stretch from the field while the Hawks stayed hot. They went on a 7-0 run over a span of 1:50 to push the lead to 31-22 and the Prudential Center crowd was quiet.
