Clark Shines as Pirates Complete Comeback Against Georgetown - Seton Hall University Athletics
After facing an 11-point deficit in the second half, the Seton Hall men's basketball team completed the comeback to defeat the Georgetown Hoyas.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After facing an 11-point deficit in the second half, the Seton Hall men's basketball team completed the comeback to defeat the Georgetown Hoyas, 76-67, in the nation's capital inside Capital One Arena.
The Pirates (14-2, 4-1 BE) thrived defensively, holding Georgetown without a basket for a pair of five-and-a-half-minute stretches, while Budd Clark added a season-high 22 points. The Hoyas (9-6, 1-4 BE) shot a stifling 33.9 percent (21-for-62) from the field despite having four players in double figures.
How It Happened
After claiming the opening tip, the Pirates struck first when AJ Staton-McCray laced a pull-up jumper to take the lead. However, after every basket, Georgetown managed to respond. After a string of missed jumpers, however, the Pirates would find themselves in a five-point hole, 13-8, with 14:17 left in the half. Yet, The Hall found back-to-back baskets from Tajuan Simpkins and Trey Parker to immediately tie the game up.
As the Pirates met strong resistance from the Hoyas' zone defense, the game deficit began to grow once again. By the three-minute mark, the team faced a seven-point deficit, 25-18. However, as they have all season, the Pirates fought back once again. In a dominant 9-3 run to close the half, led by five points from Budd Clark and three points from Jacob Dar, the Pirates entered the break with the game tied at 29-29.
To kick off the second half, Staton-McCray tipped the ball in on a layup to put the Pirates back in front for the first time since the early stages of the first half. Clark and Dar continued to contribute on offense, but Georgetown began to find its way offensively once again. As the half passed the 14-minute mark, The Hall's offense ran cold and they found themselves in an 11-point hole, 47-36.
Now facing the team's third-consecutive double-digit second-half deficit in as many games, the Pirates' offense caught fire when a pair of Pirates' guards began to thrive off the bench. After a series of missed baskets by both teams, Simpkins slipped in a second-chance layup, bookended by a pair of three-pointers, to create his own personal 8-0 run that swiftly cut the deficit to three, 47-44, with just under 12 minutes left on the clock.
After Georgetown called a timeout, the Pirates struggled to find another offensive headwind as the Hoyas matched The Hall basket-for-basket. Yet, the marshal of Seton Hall's next run turned out to be Parker. A pair of layups by the sophomore re-ignited things offensively, allowing Josh Rivera to cap off a 6-0 run with a layup of his own to retake the lead, 52-51, with 8:55 remaining in the second half.
Despite retaking the lead, the Hoyas responded quickly, putting the game back on the see-saw as the two teams grappled for the advantage. Eventually, the boogeyman responsible for the Hoyas' demise would appear in the form of Clark. As Seton Hall's defense held Georgetown without a basket for 5:50, the floor general added six points and an assist as the Pirates built themselves a 10-point lead, 67-57, with 3:30 left on the clock. With the bonus to quash any fouling opportunities, the Pirates staved off a minor comeback attempt by the Hoyas to leave D.C. with a 76-67 victory.
News & Notes
- The Pirates ended the game on a 40-20 run.
- This was the third consecutive game in which the Pirates overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to win.
- This was the 123rd matchup all time between the two programs.
- With the win, The Hall's record against the Hoyas moves to 61-62 all time
- Seton Hall has held 14 of 16 opponents under 70 points this season.
- They've also held 10 of them under 65 points.
- The Pirates shot a season-low seven three-pointers.
- Clark recorded a season-high 22 points.
- Simpkins tallied 15 of his 17 points in the second half.
- Parker tallied a season-high 12 points, nine of which came in the second half.
The Pirates return to action on Tuesday, January 12, when play host to the No. 4 UConn Huskies inside the Prudential Center. The game will be broadcast on truTV with opening tip slated for 8 p.m.`
