Visiting Seton Hall used a strong first half to pull away from Butler and post an 70-49 win Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
 
With the result, Seton Hall improves to 13-9 on the season and 6-5 in BIG EAST play.
 
Butler falls to 11-12 (3-9 BIG EAST).
 
HOW IT TRANSPIRED:

• Seton Hall used a 14-3 run to take a 19-9 lead with 10:53 to play in the first half, which was the first time the lead got to double figures.
• Butler scored only four points over the final nine minutes of the first half as Seton Hall extended its advantage to 38-18 at the half, the largest lead of the game at that point.
• The Pirates' lead maxed out at 27 early in the second half.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Seton Hall scored 34 points in the paint, with 22 of those coming in the first half as the visitors pulled away.
• Seton Hall's 37-30 rebounding advantage included a 21-8 margin in the first half.
• Dre Davis scored 15 points to lead Seton Hall; he made all three of this three-point attempts.
• Davis was one of four Pirates in double figures.
• Seton Hall shot 48 percent from the field, but was well above 50 percent until the closing minutes.
• Butler was led in scoring by Simas Lukosius, who had 11 points.
• Jalen Thomas had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Bulldogs.
• Thomas and Connor Turnbull each had three blocks for Butler, while Manny Bates added two. The team's nine blocked tied for the second-most of the season.

 
OF NOTE:

• Chuck Harris left the game in the first half after a collision and did not return. He played only 11 minutes in the contest.
• Butler entered Saturday's game having played the ninth-toughest schedule nationally according to KenPom.
• Seton Hall won the first match-up between the two teams by a score of 76-51 Jan. 7 in Newark.
• Seton Hall has won seven of the last eight most recent match-ups in the series.
• Saturday's loss was Butler's fourth straight defeat.
• Butler is 8-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season.
• Four of Butler's final eight BIG EAST regular season games will come against Marquette and Xavier, the two teams that Butler has yet to face this season.

 
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs have a week off before traveling to Marquette Saturday. The 2 p.m. (Eastern, 1 p.m. locally in Milwaukee) tip against the Top 25 Golden Eagles will air on FS1. Butler's next home game is Feb. 7 against St. John's.