Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 9 Villanova coach Jay Wright had the better of a former opposing CAA coach in Jerry Wainwright yesterday. Today, he and his Wildcats looked to build off that victory vs. No. 8 DePaul. That did not happen. Villanova was despondent in the first 20 minutes of action vs. No. 1 Georgetown. Behind a suffocating defense and a 37-18 halftime lead, the Hoyas rode into the quarterfinals with a convincing 62-57 win. Mike Nardi did not play because of injury. Player of the Year Jeff Green finished with 12 points for the Hoyas, while Rookie of the Year Scottie Reynolds scored 11 points in a losing cause.
No. 4 Syracuse’ Andy Rautins hit a three-pointer to start the game vs. No. 4 Notre Dame and set the tone early in Game 2. Notre Dame did not come out hot, and despite trailing by two at the break, the Irish fought back and was able to stave off a late Syracuse comeback, holding on for an 89-83 victory. The Irish advance to take on Georgetown Friday night in the early semifinal game at 7 p.m. The Orange kept it to a two-possession game down the stretch but could not close the margin further. Meanwhile, after likely locking up a berth to the NCAA Tournament late during the regular season, the Orange now wait to see what their seed will be.
Despite an eight-minute second-half scoring drought, No. 2 Louisville managed to force a pair of overtimes tonight against No. 7 West Virginia, and the Cardinals advanced to the quarterfinals with an 82-71 victory. With 28 seconds remaining in regulation tied at 56-56, Darris Nichols converted on a drive to give West Virginia a two-point lead. Four ticks left gave Cardinals freshman Edgar Sosa enough time to go coast-to-coast, forcing the first overtime. Up six with less than 90 seconds to play in the second overtime, Earl Clark’s three-pointer sealed the deal.
No. 6 Marquette won the two regular-season meetings against No. 3 Pittsburgh. For the Panthers, the third time was the charm. Levance Fields hit a three-pointer midway through the second half to give Pitt a 10-point cushion and send the Panthers on their way to an 89-79 win. The Panthers will play No. 2 Louisville tonight at 9 p.m. Playing with multiple injuries, including an injured Aaron Gray, the Panthers looked crisp, limiting turnovers and hitting free throws. Four Golden Eagles scored in double figures, including a team-high 20 points from Dan Fitzgerald. Gray led Pitt with 22 points and 10 rebounds. [3/08/07]
