Simpkins Leads Seton Hall to 86-68 Win Over Xavier

Seton Hall's bench player scores 27 points in victory over Big East rival

Jan. 28, 2026 at 9:47pm

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TJ Simpkins scored 27 points off the bench to help lead the Seton Hall Pirates to an 86-68 victory over the Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday night in Newark, New Jersey. Simpkins shot 9-of-17 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and added 4 free throws. Adam Clark also scored 24 points and grabbed 7 rebounds for Seton Hall, who improved to 15-6 overall and 5-5 in Big East Conference play.

Why it matters

This was an important conference win for Seton Hall, who has been up and down this season in Big East play. The strong performance off the bench from Simpkins provided a much-needed boost to help the Pirates take down a tough Xavier squad.

The details

Seton Hall's TJ Simpkins had a standout game, scoring 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. Adam Clark added 24 points and 7 rebounds for the Pirates, while Jacob Dar chipped in 10 points. Seton Hall led wire-to-wire, building a double-digit lead in the first half and maintaining control throughout the game.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

The players

TJ Simpkins

A bench player for the Seton Hall Pirates who scored a game-high 27 points in the win over Xavier.

Adam Clark

A Seton Hall player who scored 24 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the victory.

Jacob Dar

A Seton Hall player who contributed 10 points in the game.

Xavier Musketeers

The opposing team that lost to Seton Hall 86-68.

Seton Hall Pirates

The home team that won the game 86-68 over Xavier.

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What they’re saying

“TJ Simpkins really gave us a huge lift off the bench tonight. His scoring punch was a big reason we were able to pull away from Xavier.”

— Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall Head Coach

What’s next

Seton Hall will look to build on this conference win as they continue their Big East schedule. Their next game is against Creighton on February 1st.

The takeaway

Seton Hall's depth and ability to get production from their bench players like TJ Simpkins proved to be a key factor in their victory over Xavier. This win could provide momentum for the Pirates as they look to climb the standings in the competitive Big East Conference.