Big East Tournament: Da'Sean Butler Does It Again; No. 6 West Virginia Prevails, 60-58

For more on today's game and these teams, visit our Georgetown blog at Casual Hoya and our West Virginia blog at The Smoking Musket.

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Da'Sean Butler provided the final theatrics of the Big East Tournament, pouring home a layup with 4.2 seconds remaining to give seventh-ranked West Virginia a thrilling 60-58 win over 22nd-ranked Georgetown to help the Mountaineers capture their first conference tournament title.

Butler finished with 20 points and six rebounds for third-seeded WVU (27-6), which won its sixth straight to win a conference tournament for the first time since the 1984 Atlantic 10 Tournament. Wellington Smith finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds -- six on the offensive end -- and was a main factor in shutting down Georgetown stalwart center Greg Monroe.

Monroe recorded tournament-lows of 11 points and six rebounds for the Hoyas (23-10), who were looking to win a Big East-record eighth tournament title. Chris Wright had 20 points and seven assists but missed a potential game-tying layup attempt at the buzzer. Austin Freeman added 14 points in defeat.

Over the course of the 2010 Big East Tournament, Georgetown has taken on a reputation to brute, overpowering force while West Virginia has found a way to eek out win after win. Both of those reputations were evident Friday night as each team advanced to the conference tournament finals.

Greg Monroe dominated the paint with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and 22nd-ranked Georgetown returned to the Big East Tournament final for the third time in four years with an 80-57 victory over Marquette. Just like against Syracuse, the Hoyas shot down the opposing offense in the 2nd half and overpowered Marquette in the paint.

All season long people have been saying the Hoyas have the potential and talent to beat anyone if they play up to it. If this week is any indication, they’re doing just that.

Last Saturday, Da’Sean Butler’s floater with 5.7 seconds left sealed the deal on a win over Villanova. Then on Thursday, Butler’s buzzer-beating three-pointer gave the Mountaineers a 54-51 win over Cincinnati. Friday night, West Virginia didn’t need a last-second shot to beat Notre Dame, but the final score was just as close.

Da’Sean Butler scored 24 points and hauled in seven rebounds, and the seventh-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers survived yet again with a 53-51 win over Notre Dame. Ben Hansbrough led the Irish with 17.

The Mountaineers advance to the final for the first time since 2005 when they lost to Syracuse. The Hoyas return to try and win their 2nd Big East title in four years and eighth all-time. The Mountaineers defeated the Hoyas 81-68 on March 1st but this Georgetown team seems different than that one, even only a few weeks later.

The finals are scheduled for Saturday, 9 p.m. EST. For more information and updates on Georgetown, visit Casual Hoya. For more information and updates on West Virginia, visit The Smoking Musket.

Friday’s slate of Big East Tournament games shakes out thusly:

No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 11 Marquette, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
— For analysis, opinion, previews, snark from SB Nation’s team blogs, head to Casual Hoya and/or Anonymous Eagle.

— Follow the game live once it starts here.

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 West Virginia, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN
— For analysis, opinion, previews, snark from SB Nation’s team blogs, head to Rakes of Mallow and/or The Smoking Musket.

— Follow the game live once it starts here.

We will have full recaps and analysis of both games after they finish.

Here are the full (and somewhat choppy) highlights of Thursday night's thriller at MSG between WVU and Cincy. The shot you're looking for comes around the 1:40 mark, when Da’Sean Butler banks in a three-pointer for the win.

Thanks to that little prayer being answered, the Mountaineers move on to face Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament semifinals Friday night at 9 p.m. ET.

It took a buzzer-beater but at least one of the four Big East high seeds is advancing.

Da’Sean Butler didn’t call “bank” but his three-pointer off the glass as time expired was just in time for the 4-seed Mountaineers to top Cincinnati 54-51. Butler finished with 15 and Kevin Jones added 17 for West Virginia.

Pittsburgh made a nice run to end the season and propel itself into the third spot in the conference. Notre Dame’s late season run begun a little bit later than the Panthers, but there’s will be the one that keeps going after their 50-45 win on Thursday night.

Tory Jackson and Luke Harangody each scored 12 points, and Harangody made a pair of clutch free throws with just under 16 seconds left to ice the victory.

Notre Dame, Marquette and Georgetown are making their statements for high NCAA seeds while West Virginia is playing for a shot at a 2-seed or, if they win it all, possibly a 1-seed.

Friday’s Semifinal Round
No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 11 Marquette (7pm)
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 West Virginia (9pm)

Marquette blog Anonymous Eagle joined the SBNation platform on Wednesday. Just in time, it seems.

Buzz Williams’ squad continues it’s late-season surge, defeating Villanova 80-76, thanks to its hot-hand beyonf the arc. The Eagles hit 9-of-16 three-pointers on the day, five of which were courtesy of Darius Johnson-Odom, who finished with 24. Lazar Hayward added 20.

Corey Stokes scored 22 for the Wildcats off the bench but it wasn’t enough. After starting 20-1, Villanova has now lost six of their last 10 games. Once considered a possible NCAA one-seed, they’re most likely looking at a three or even a four now.

The Golden Eagles now move on to the semis where they’ll face Georgetown, a winner over top-seed Syracuse in earlier action. That game is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. EST.

A little over a week ago, Syracuse was on top of the college basketball world. No. 1 during the regular season for the first time in twenty years and a lock for a one-seed, Orange fans were practically booking tickets to Indianapolis.

Cut to Thursday morning and all of a sudden Cuse Nation is in shock. The Orange’s 91-84 loss to Georgetown in the Big East Quarterfinals is their second-straight defeat. All of a sudden the air of invincibility is gone and replaced by more questions than a probable NCAA Tournament one-seed deserves to have.

Why isn’t Wes Johnson screaming and jumping over people for the ball with less than a minute left and the team in need of major help?

Why is Scoop Jardine suddenly the defacto guy with the ball in his hand when SU needs a late score? Does that make sense?

What about AO? My God, what about AO? That looked, sounded and felt horrible. I don’t feel good about the impending news.

How can Andy Rautins throw the best pass in the history of basketball and some of the worst passes in the history of basketball in the same game?

The Orange should still be on pace for a one-seed but expect SU fans to be rooting for Kentucky, Kansas and Duke to win their tournaments from here on out just in case.

One good bit of news for the Orange?  According to Arinze Onuaku's mom, his knee injury isn't serious.  Mama knows.

Syracuse can breathe easy, Louisville is out of the Big East Tournament.

The only team to beat the top-seed Orange twice this season couldn’t beat the 14-loss Bearcats on Wednesday night. Cincy advanced with a 69-66 victory in the Big East 2nd round.

With the loss, all of the bubble fears that Louisville seemed to excise with the Syracuse win come hurtling back. Cincy became the only first-day team to win their 2nd game by grabbing 20 offensive rebounds, physically dominating the Cardinals in the second half. Their reward? 3-seed West Virginia tomorrow night.

Earlier in the evening, Notre Dame continued it’s red-hot winning ways by beating Seton Hall 68-56. Notre Dame, which has won its last five games, connected on 52.7 percent of its field goal attempts in the tilt while limiting Seton Hall to 34.5 percent. They’ll face 2-seed Pittsburgh in the Quarterfinals.

Thursday’s Quarterfinals

1. Syracuse vs. #8 Georgetown (Noon)
2. Villanova vs. #5 Marquette (2pm)
3. Pittsburgh vs. #7 Notre Dame (7pm)
4. West Virginia vs. #11 Cincinnati (9pm)

Fortunes change very quickly in the Big East Tournament. Just ask South Florida and St. John’s.

A day after beating up on DePaul, the Bulls ran into a determined Georgetown team that cruised to a 69-49 victory. Greg Monroe led the Hoyas with 16 points and helped Georgetown avenge their loss to South Florida during the regular season. At 21-13, the Bulls are now at the mercy of the NCAA selection committee to see if they’ve done enough to make the tournament (probably not).

The Hoyas now move on to the Quarterfinals where they’ll face-off against the top-seeded Syracuse Orange. SU beat the Hoyas twice during the season and the all-time Big East Tournament record against one another is 6-6.

In the 2nd game of the day, St. John’s almost pulled off their second-straight upset. After knocking UConn out of the BET a day earlier, the Red Storm looked sluggish early against Marquette, scoring only 17 points. The Johnnies stormed back in the second half to take a brief lead but in the end, Marquette held on for a 57-55 victory. Lazar Hayward led the Eagles with 20 points.

Marquette moves on to play Villanova in the Quarterfinals on Thursday. At 21-10, the Eagles could sure use a win there to solidify their NCAA Tournament seeding.

Action picks up again this evening when Seton Hall takes on Notre Dame, followed by Cincinnati and Louisville.

In last year’s epic six-overtime Big East Tournament battle, Syracuse and UConn scored 127 and 117 points, respectively. This year, Seton Hall and Providence nearly hit those same numbers without the aide of even one extra period.

All five of 10-seed Seton Hall’s starters scored in double-figures in a 109-106 shootout win over 15-seed Providence in the early evening game.

Herb Pope completed a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Pirates, who now move on to face 7-seed Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Friar Jamine Peterson logged a career-high 38 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a losing effort.

Providence scored 67 points in the second half of their game. Meanwhile, Cincinnati and Rutgers both barely cleared that mark over the course of their entire game. The 11-seed Bearcats edged the 14-seed Scarlet Knights 69-68 in the nightcap. Cincy got 13 points Jaquon Parker while Rutgers saw Mike Rosario drop 26 in a losing effort.

Seton Hall blog GonzoBall will have updates on the Pirates while Rutgers blog Protect R Turf will recap tonight’s action.

Wednesday’s 2nd Round

1. USF vs. #8 Georgetown (Noon)
2. St. John’s vs. #5 Marquette (2pm)
3. Seton Hall vs. #7 Notre Dame (7pm)
4. Cincinnati vs. #6 Louisville (9pm)

The Big East Tournament is only two games old and already things have been shaken up.

Nine-seed South Florida did its job, dispatching with 16-seed DePaul 58-49. The Blue Demons didn’t go down without a fight, getting within six points early in the 2nd half, but USF put the brakes on the comeback and cruised to victory. Dominique Jones scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Bulls, who win their first-ever Big East Tournament game. Their reward…a noon tip-off with the 8-seed Georgetown Hoyas tomorrow.

In the second game of the day, however, the mighty (or formerly mighty) took a tumble. The UConn Huskies needed to make a serious run in order to get any consideration whatsoever for the NCAA Tournament, and even then it would be a crapshoot. Instead, they laid an egg to cap their worst season in a long time. 13-seed St. John’s blew out the 12-seed Huskies 73-51, who will now head home after one game in the BET for the fifth-consecutive year. Sean Evans led the Red Storm with 19 points.

The Huskies are now 17-15, their worst record since 1987. They’re not even a lock to get invited to the N.I.T. St. John’s may have just swiped that spot from them.

Keep an eye on The UConn Blog for post-game thoughts on the Huskies’ latest loss and Casual Hoya for a preview on tomorrow’s Georgetown showdown with South Florida.