After a wild night at Madison Square Garden, classic Big East rivals Villanova and Seton Hall are set to square off with the conference title on the line.
If you didn’t get a chance to check out the Big East Tournament semifinals last night, you missed some very interesting basketball. The night started with Villanova, the defending national champions, fighting for their lives against a Xavier team that needed a win to keep its slim hopes of an at-large bid alive.
The Musketeers ended up taking the Wildcats to overtime, but Villanova survived and advanced with a 71-67 victory. Senior Phil Booth led the way for Villanova, pouring in 28 points to help the Wildcats earn a shot at the Big East’s tournament crown.
The second game of the night was another wild affair between Marquette and Seton Hall, which lasted two hours and 40 minutes thanks to a parade of whistles from the referees. The contest also saw three players get ejected and another four out, but Seton Hall escaped with an 81-79 victory.
Myles Powell led the Pirates in scoring with 22 points, a big effort to help Seton Hall rip off its fourth consecutive victory. One of those wins came over Villanova in Newark during the final week of the regular season, so Seton Hall is well aware of the fact it can beat a Wildcats’ squad that hasn’t been playing consistent basketball for a few weeks.
Whoever wins this game should be in line to improve their seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova is currently hovering around the 5-6 line while Seton Hall is in the 8-9 area, so a win can only help either side’s cause.
How to watch Villanova vs. Seton Hall
Date: Saturday, March 16
Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
Location: New York, NY
Venue: Madison Square Garden
TV: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go