Seton Hall basketball rallies at Butler, stays in NCAA Tournament hunt

3 thoughts, 3 quotes as Seton Hall continues to show resiliency

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Seton Hall's critical 63-56 triumph at Butler was won on guts, as the Pirates rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit and held the Bulldogs to 30 percent shooting at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Riddled with fouls and an off game from star guard Budd Clark, Seton Hall showed resiliency to stay in the NCAA Tournament hunt.

Why it matters

Seton Hall's road/neutral record of 7-5 is a huge plus, but their 2-5 mark against Quad 1 is a negative, and their 6-8 ledger against Quads 1-2 needs to get up to .500 or better to solidify their NCAA Tournament chances. This win at Butler, a Quad 1 opponent, was crucial for the Pirates' postseason aspirations.

The details

Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway made a change to his starting lineup, moving in junior guard Tajuan Simpkins over junior guard Mike Williams. Williams then played his best game in quite some time, posting 10 points, three rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes off the bench. Postgrad captain Budd Clark came through when the Hall needed him most, chalking up 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and adding five boards.

  • Seton Hall (18-8 overall, 8-7 Big East) rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit.
  • Butler (13-12, 4-10) entered on a five-game losing streak and without injured guards Finley Bizjack (17.4 ppg) and Azavier Robinson (6.1 ppg).

The players

Shaheen Holloway

Seton Hall's head coach who made a change to the starting lineup.

Budd Clark

Seton Hall's postgrad captain who scored 19 points and added 5 rebounds.

Tajuan Simpkins

Seton Hall junior guard who was inserted into the starting lineup.

Mike Williams

Seton Hall junior guard who came off the bench and had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

Finley Bizjack

Butler guard who was out injured and averaged 17.4 ppg.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The Pirates don't have a bad loss on the resume, and they must keep it clean against two Quad 3 foes in Newark this week – Wednesday against DePaul (13-12, 5-9) and Saturday against Georgetown (13-12, 5-9).

The takeaway

This win at Butler, a Quad 1 opponent, was crucial for the Pirates' postseason aspirations as they look to improve their 2-5 mark against Quad 1 opponents and 6-8 ledger against Quads 1-2 to solidify their NCAA Tournament chances.