NEWARK, N.J. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a stifling first-half defensive performance and a parade to the free-throw line, Butler snapped a three-game skid with a decisive 77-66 victory over Seton Hall in a Big East Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Prudential Center.

The Bulldogs, improving to 11-7 overall and halting a slide that included losses to Villanova, Saint John’s and Xavier, built an insurmountable lead by holding the Pirates to a season-low 24 points in the opening half. Seton Hall, which entered the contest with a 14-3 record and as a 6.5-point favorite, saw its four-game winning streak end and fell to 14-4.

Butler’s defensive pressure was the story of the first 20 minutes. The Pirates managed to connect on just 9 of 33 field goal attempts before halftime, a frigid 27.3 percent, and committed nine turnovers. This allowed the Bulldogs to methodically build a lead despite their own offensive struggles from the field. The half ended with Butler ahead 34-24, a margin that proved critical.

Finley Bizjack, a guard from Trophy Club, Texas, led all scorers with 25 points, spearheading a Butler offense that found its most consistent success at the charity stripe. The Bulldogs attempted 41 free throws, making 33, while Seton Hall went 17 for 25. Bizjack was a perfect 8 for 8 from the line and also hit three of Butler’s four 3-pointers in the game.

Azavier Robinson of Indianapolis added 14 points and four assists for Butler, while Drayton Jones of Houston contributed 11 points. Michael Ajayi of Kent, Washington, chipped in 13 points.

Seton Hall’s offense never found a sustained rhythm, finishing the game shooting 35.9 percent from the floor and a dismal 3 of 17 from beyond the arc. The Pirates dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 20 rebounds to Butler’s four, but converted those second chances into only 34 points in the paint, narrowly edging Butler’s 32.

AJ Staton-McCray of Delray Beach, Florida, led Seton Hall with 17 points. Najai Hines of Plainfield, New Jersey, recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high three blocks, while Mike Williams of Baltimore also scored 11 points.

The most important sequence of the game came early in the second half as Seton Hall attempted to rally. After trimming the deficit to 10 points, the Pirates saw Butler answer with a 7-0 run, capped by a Bizjack 3-pointer assisted by Robinson, pushing the lead back to 17 with just over 17 minutes to play. Seton Hall would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way, as Butler consistently answered every Pirates basket and capitalized on Seton Hall’s 13 turnovers to score 13 points.

Butler’s offensive efficiency, scoring 77 points on just 66 possessions for a rating of 115.8, contrasted sharply with Seton Hall’s 95.8 rating. The Bulldogs also shared the ball more effectively, recording eight assists to Seton Hall’s five, and were more disruptive defensively with eight steals.

The victory provides a significant momentum boost for Butler as it heads into a home matchup with DePaul on Tuesday. Seton Hall, which had been projected with a 72% probability to win by analytics systems, will look to regroup quickly with a road game at Saint John’s on Tuesday.

An announced crowd of 8,326 watched the contest, which finished under the betting total of 142.5 points.