
Pirates Head to Midwest to Face Creighton on Saturday Night
2/6/2026 2:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SETON HALL PIRATES (16-7, 6-6) at CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (12-11, 6-6)
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 7 • 6 p.m. Eastern
Site: Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
TV: NBCSN • Pete Sousa & Jess Settles
Online: Peacock
Radio: SHU Pirates Mobile App • Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin
SHUPirates.com • Varsity Network App
Seton Hall All-Time vs. Creighton: 17-14 (Streak: W1)
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO LATELY
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 7 • 6 p.m. Eastern
Site: Omaha, Neb. • CHI Health Center Omaha
TV: NBCSN • Pete Sousa & Jess Settles
Online: Peacock
Radio: SHU Pirates Mobile App • Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin
SHUPirates.com • Varsity Network App
Seton Hall All-Time vs. Creighton: 17-14 (Streak: W1)
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Pirates travel to Omaha this weekend to take on the Creighton Bluejays at 6 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN/Peacock.
- Budd Clark was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 21.5 ppg, 5.0 reb, 5.0 ast, 50% FG and 3.0 spg last week.
- The Pirates overcame a 16-point second half deficit in their last meeting with Creighton on Jan. 4, defeating the Bluejays 56-54.
- Najai Hines' putback with 1.3 seconds remaining against Creighton vaulted the Pirates to their third straight second half double digit comeback win.
- That win over the Bluejays snapped Seton Hall's six-game losing streak to Creighton.
- Seton Hall's +63 point differential in the second half of BIG EAST games ranks second in the conference.
- Seton Hall is 12-1 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
- The Pirates have held 18 of their 23 opponents this season to under 70 points and are 14-4 in those games.
- Furthermore, they've held 12 foes to 65 or less points and are 10-2 in such games.
- The Pirates enter with the 12th best defensive efficiency in the nation accoridng to KenPom.
- Seton Hall has improved 42 spots in KenPom from opening night, tied with Virginia for the largest leap among all Power 5 schools.
- The Pirates is 13th in the nation in both scoring defense (64.6) and blocks per game (5.5).
- Najai Hines ranks 21st in the nation and first among all freshmen in blocks per game (2.2).
- Tajuan Simpkins has been essential to the Pirates' success this season, averaging 12.5 points and shooting 49% FG in Seton Hall's 16 wins this season.
- Stephon Payne has three games this season with 15+ rebounds after having zero such games in his career prior to this year.
- Shaheen Holloway is one of 51 coaches in the nation to be coaching at his alma mater.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO LATELY
- Seton Hall overcame a halftime deficit for the second straight game in a 69-64 win over Marquette last Saturday.
- The Pirates snapped their four game losing streak with a 86-68 win over Xavier.
- Tajuan Simpkins tied his career-high with 27 points and knocked down five 3-pointers.
- Simpkins had the most points off the bench by a Pirate since Kadary Richmond, who also scored 27 as a reserve on Jan. 8, 2022 against UConn.
- Simpkins' five made three-pointers off the bench are the most by a Pirate non-starter since Jamir Harris (6) against Nyack on Dec. 4, 2021.
- Budd Clark had a sensational all-around game with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, the first Pirate to have at least those totals in a game since Jeremy Hazell on Jan. 25, 2011 against Syracuse (28p, 9r, 4a, 4s).
- Seton Hall's 56 point second half against Xavier was its most points in a half since Jan. 13, 2022 at DePaul (57).
- On Jan. 10, the Pirates erased an 11-point second half deficit to defeat Georgetown, 76-67, in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
- The win over the Hoyas was the third straight game in which the Pirates had overcome a double digit second half deficit to win.
- Seton Hall rallied from 16 points down in the second half to defeat Creighton, 56-54, on Jan. 4 at Prudential Center.
- The Pirates used a 13-0 run to close the game in a 79-73 victory at Marquette.
- Stephon Payne grabbed 22 rebounds in the win at Marquette on Dec. 30, the most rebounds by a Pirate since Angel Delgado pulled down 23 in his memorable performance against Kansas in the Second Round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
- Payne also put on a show at Providence on Dec. 19 with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
- For Payne's efforts against the Friars, he was named BIG EAST and MET Writers Player of the Week, and also received a USBWA National Player of the Week honor.
- In the non-conference finale, Seton Hall reclaimed the Boardwalk Trophy by defeating in-state rivals Rutgers, 81-59, in the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Dec. 13.
- Budd Clark was named the Joe Calabrese MVP of the game, finishing with 16 points, seven assists, four steals and just one turnover.
- Picked to finish last in the BIG EAST before the season, the Pirates have already more than doubled last year's win total and have scored double-digit signature wins over No. 23 NC State in Maui as well as on the road at Kansas State.
- Five different Pirates made multiple three-pointers in the win over CCSU back on Dec. 3, a first since Feb. 14, 2012 against St. John's.
Players Mentioned
Getting to Know Mexico Standout Mariana Valenzuela
Monday, February 02
Men's Basketball Postgame vs. Marquette - Shaheen Holloway, Budd Clark, A.J. Staton-McCray (1-31-26)
Saturday, January 31
Men's Basketball Postgame vs. Xavier - Shaheen Holloway, Budd Clark, Tajuan Simpkins (1-28-26)
Thursday, January 29
Seton Hall Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference After Win vs. Providence (1-20-26)
Wednesday, January 21


































