Clark's Big Second Half Guides Pirates Past Marquette, 69-64

Saturday, January 31

Newark, N.J.

12:00 p.m.

Seton Hall University

16-6,6-5Big East

Marquette

8-15,3-9Big East

Marquette

Seton Hall

Clark's Big Second Half Guides Pirates Past Marquette, 69-64

1/31/2026 2:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Tickets!

NEWARK, N.J. - Junior guard Budd Clark scored a game-high 19 points, 15 of which came after halftime, while dishing out six assists as the Seton Hall men's basketball team defeated Marquette, 69-64, for its second home victory of the week. Clark's performance came after a 24-point showing on Wednesday. Joining Clark in double figures was AJ Staton-McCray with 11 points, including what proved to be the game-winning three-pointer with just over a minute remaining.

The Pirates (15-6, 5-5 BE), powered by 19 points from Clark, shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the field for the game while outrebounding Marquette, 20-8, in the second half. The Golden Eagles (8-14, 3-8 BE) were held to 39.1 percent (9-of-23) shooting from the field with seven turnovers in the second half.

How It Happened
Off the opening tip, this game quickly became a clash of styles. While the Pirates attempted to methodically dissect the Marquette defense, the Golden Eagles countered with a rapid-passing attack. While Marquette's shooting from deep gave the opposition the early lead, AJ Staton-McCray pulled the Pirates back within one, 13-12, after a pair of early three-pointers and a layup. After Budd Clark a midrange jumper with 13:24 remaining in the half, the Pirates tied the game at 14-14.

Budd finding it early 🙌 pic.twitter.com/r7Y15AZ17e
— Seton Hall Men's Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) January 31, 2026

As the half continued on, Marquette's passing and rebounding began to push the Pirates' defense to the limit. Even as Tajuan Simpkins, Trey Parker and Stephon Payne attempted to steady The Hall at both ends, the deficit began to grow once again. While it fell to as few as one point, by halftime, the Pirates were down 41-33 after Marquette shot 8-of-12 from three in the opening 20 minutes.

Out of the break, the Pirates quickly found their rhythm and went on a half-opening burner. Possession after possession, The Hall exhibited a taut defensive scheme that the Golden Eagles could not break. As a result, over the opening 5:30 of the half, The Hall held the visitors to 1-of-7 shooting with three turnovers. Offensively, the pick-and-roll duo of Clark and Payne sent the Pirates' offense flying. In a showcase of midrange magic, the floor general added six points and an assist, alongside Payne's four points, three rebounds and a block, as The Hall completed a 14-3 half-opening run to take a 45-44 lead after just over five minutes of second-half play.

With the eight-point deficit erased, the two sides entered the trenches and began the game-deciding battle. After Marquette retook the lead, the Pirates immediately responded to retake the lead. Slowly, the two sides began exchanging baskets and stifling defensive stretches, with the game continually bouncing between a five-point lead and a tie game as the minutes ticked by.

Budd Clark Midrange Jumpers™️ pic.twitter.com/qcq8845S0e
— Seton Hall Men's Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) January 31, 2026

While the defense continued to muddy the waters during that stretch, the offense found strong offensive spurts from multiple outlets. While Josh Rivera piled on six key points and five rebounds to keep possessions alive, the final word continually fell in the hands of Clark. Yet, as the clock dipped under two minutes remaining, The Hall found themselves unable to shake the Golden Eagles as the game sat even at 64-64.

As the Pirates took the ball up the floor, the question of who would take the high-pressure shot grew more prominent. As the ball swung around the court, Staton-McCray managed to slip loose and find himself wide open. After a quick dish from Rivera, the wing sent his feet and let the ball fly. The ball sailed through the net, handing The Hall a 67-64 lead with just under a minute remaining in the game.

BANG‼️ https://t.co/iQ7FkaOtA5 pic.twitter.com/Gk2Zqk2bWh
— Seton Hall Men's Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) January 31, 2026

Now the onus sat on the defense to close out the game. Clark collected a swift steal and nearly dealt the final blow, but a block sent the ball going the other way with less than twenty seconds remaining. Yet, once again, The Hall stood tall when Payne collected the game-sealing rebound. A pair of free throws from Clark later, The Hall secured a 69-64 win over Marquette.

News & Notes

This was the 40th matchup all-time between the two programs.
- With the win, The Hall moves to 16-24 all-time against the Golden Eagles.
- This was the first time the Pirates swept the Golden Eagles in the season series since the 2020-21 campaign.
Seton Hall has held 18 of 22 opponents under 70 points this season.
- They've also held 12 of them to 65 points or less.
- Seton Hall is 10-2 when allowing 65 points or fewer this season.
The Pirates scored to 42 points in the paint to Marquette's 26.
With 19 points and six rebounds, Clark logged his 18th career game with 15+ points and 5+ rebounds.
Seton Hall shot above 50 percent from the field as a team for the fifth time this season and the first time in BIG EAST play.
Today was Staton-McCray's 14th game this season with double-digit points.

Up Next
The Pirates return to action on Wednesday, February 4, when they travel to Villanova to take on the Wildcats. The game will be broadcast on Peacock with opening tip slated for 6:30 p.m.