WEST ORANGE, N.J. – Butler put together their best second half of the season to come back and defeat Seton Hall by the final score of 75-69 on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs shot 70 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes of the game to score 51 second half points.

An 11 point halftime deficit was quickly erased by BU as Daress McClung and Taylor Schippers sparked a run that quickly got the Bulldogs within two points at 37-35. Schippers scored 15 of her 17 points on the second half while McClung was the driving force behind the Butler offense all day long as she ended the game with 24 points and seven rebounds.

Schippers gave Butler their first lead of the second half with her second 3-point field goal of the game. McClung followed with a triple of her own that pushed the Butler lead to 49-45 with 11:34 remaining.

Saturday's contest stayed close until a 7-0 run gave the Bulldogs some breathing room at 61-53. McClung and Ijeoma Uchendu each scored a bucket around Schippers' third 3-point field goal.

A Seton Hall jumper from Sindey Cook got the Pirates within four points with 2:17 remaining, but the Bulldogs were able to free throw the game out behind the strong shooting of Lexus Murry who ended the day 7-of-8 from the charity stripe to secure the win.

Murry tied her season-high scoring total with nine at Seton Hall and Uchendu was active off the bench with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Butler also received a huge lift from junior center Liz Stratman who ended the game with nine points, 10 rebounds and a career-high eight blocks. She helped BU control the paint as the Bulldogs outrebounded Seton Hall 45-41.

The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the floor (27-of-53) compared to just 34 percent for the Pirates. The high shooting percentage definitely led to the win as BU turned the ball over 20 times.

Tabatha Richardson-Smith led SHU with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting. She hit three consecutive 3-point field goals in the first half to give the Pirates a 35-24 halftime lead. Three other players reached a double figure scoring total for Seton Hall. Ka-Deidre Simmons was a high-impact player with 14 points and eight assists.

The Bulldogs will return to Hinkle Fieldhouse with a home game against Villanova on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.