Finley Bizjack scores 25 points to lead Butler over No. 25 Seton Hall 77-66
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Finley Bizjack scored 25 points and Butler snapped a four-game losing streak with a 77-66 win over No. 25 Seton Hall on Saturday.
Bizjack was 4 of 7 from 3-point range and 7 of 7 from the line.
Azavier Robinson added 14 points and Michael Ajayi scored 13, the 17th time this season he has scored in double figures for Butler (11-7, 2-5 Big East).
AJ Staton-McCray led Seton Hall (14-4, 4-3) with 17 points. Mike Williams and freshman Najai Hines chipped in with 11 points each. Hines also pulled down 16 rebounds.
The Pirates closed to 63-57 with 4:02 to play, but Ajayi and Drayton Jones, who scored 11 points, each scored two from the free throw line to put the Bulldogs up 67-57.
The Pirates shot only 17.6% from behind the 3-point arc (3-of-17). It was their second straight poor performance from long range. They were 1 of 16 in a 69-64 loss to No. 3 UConn on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs outscored Seton Hall 15-8 to start the second half to increase their lead to 49-32.
Seton Hall was picked to finish last in the Big East pre-season poll conducted by the coaches following a 25-loss season last year — the most in program history.
The Pirates are appearing in The Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in four years with an overhauled roster that features 10 new players.
Butler closed the first half on a 15-4 run to take a 34-24 advantage. Bizjack contributed six of his 14 first-half points in the run on two 3-pointers.
Up next
Butler hosts DePaul on Tuesday.
Seton Hall is at St. John’s on Tuesday.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball