Seton Hall Beats Villanova to Win Big East Tournament

The Big East Conference has two teams ranked in the top 5 in the AP Poll, #3 Villanova and #5 Xavier. One of those two should have emerged as the winner of the Big East Tournament, right.

Well, not according to Seton Hall. The Pirates, who were unranked despite rather quietly finishing third in the regular season standings, beat Xavier in a semifinal 87-83, and took on Villanova in the conference final on March 12th. Seton Hall got off to a great start, and had a 40-29 lead at halftime. But the Wildcats were #3 in the nation for a reason, and mounted a comeback in the second half, taking the lead. The Pirates’ Isaiah Whitehead scored with 18 seconds left to tie it, and then hit a free throw to give Seton Hall a one point lead. The Pirates went on to win 69-67.

The tournament championship means an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates (season record 25-8) were regular participants during their heydey of the late 80s to the early 2000s, but haven’t made it to the Big Dance since the 2006 tournament. As for Villanova, the loss may well have cost the Wildcats a number one seed in the NCAAs according to some analysts.