TJ Simpkins scored a season-high 18 points for Seton Hall, which found its shot during the first half for a 68-45 victory over New Haven Tuesday in Newark, N.J.
In their final game before heading to Hawaii next week for the Maui Invitational, the Pirates (5-0) shot a season-high 48.1% to get off to their best start to a season since going 7-0 in 2014-15. They also never trailed in the contest.
Entering Tuesday, the Pirates shot just 40.2% from the field through their first four games, including 31.1% from beyond the 3-point arc. Against the Chargers (2-4), they made 13 of their first 20 shots. That included six of their first eight treys, to take a 34-18 lead with 6:37 left in the first half.
Seton Hall finished the first half shooting 58.6% (17 of 29), but that dropped off considerably in the second half. The Pirates started that by clanking 11 of their first 14 shots. That enabled the Chargers to whittle the deficit to 50-37 with 12:02 minutes remaining after a Vere Anthony layup.
However, those would be the last points the Chargers would score for more than six minutes. They also committed four of their 14 turnovers in that span as the Pirates regained control of the game.
Simpkins, who averaged 12 points in his first four games, put down 13 in the first half. The junior guard made five of his six baskets, including all three of his shots from the perimeter. The Elon transfer went 6 of 8 overall and 4 of 5 from the 3-point line for the game.
A pair of Simpkins’ teammates also posted season-highs. Stephon Payne III recorded his first double-double with the Pirates as the senior forward finished with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds. Senior guard A.J. Staton-McCray, who played at Miami (Fla.) last season, added 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Andre Pasha scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half to lead New Haven, a first-year Division I program that shot 34.7% overall (17 of 49) as its two-game winning streak ended.
