Tennie Sumague
EBC New York Bureau
NEW YORK (Eagle News) – Quarterfinal action at Madison Square Garden kicked off Thursday as the 36th annual Big East tournament got underway.
In the last daytime session game, the Providence Friars moved on with a 72-68 overtime victory against the Creighton Blue Jays. The Friars are in the tournament Semifinals for the 11th time, their fourth trip in five years.
A game that was a bit sloppy from both ends, the Friars prevailed in overtime, capitalizing on free throws and a Kyron Cartwright jumper with 16 seconds left to hold off the Blue Jays. This was the first overtime game in the tournament since 2015 when Xavier defeated Butler in the quarterfinals.
“Today was a win that I thought our players went out and earned,” said Providence Head Coach, Ed Cooley. “ We made a lot of mistakes but I thought we were good when we needed to be. They made timely plays, timely shots and free throws across the board. Today, divine Providence was on our side, a word that is engrained in my soul [which] goes a long way.”
Providence, which is three hours north of New York City in the state of Rhode Island, will play top-seed and the nation’s third-ranked team, Xavier Musketeers, who breezed past hometown favorite St. John’s Red Storm 88-60. Players answered the question on the fan-based advantage the Friars have against the Musketeers.
“Being so close to home, we have a bunch of fans and alumni who actually moved to New York and come to see us play,” said Friars forward, Jalen Lindsey. “We have fans who travel across the country to watch us. We’re playing against a really, really good team in Xavier and [having a close fan base] is an advantage, but I think it’s more of how we play than just the crowd.”
In the evening session, second-seeded Villanova Wildcats exploded in the second half, shooting 68% from the field and 11 of 17 from the three-point line to crush seventh-seed Marquette Golden Eagles 94-70. The Wildcats will play the Butler Bulldogs, who knocked off third-seeded Seton Hall Pirates 75-74 in the final seconds.
Mikal Bridges led the way with 25 points and Big East player of the year Jalen Brunson added 22 points for the Wildcats. The nation’s second-ranked team and defending Big East champion continued their dominance in tournament play.
“I think the leadership of Jalen and Mikal just kept everybody together,” said Wildcats Head Coach, Jay Wright. “Toward the middle of the second half I think you saw the effects of Marquette playing last night. I think we wore them down a little bit. And I thought we played well. Just great leadership by these two, our captains. I’m so happy they’re on our side.”
(Eagle News Service)
