Pirates Head to Midwest to Face Creighton on Saturday Night

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

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.