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UConn Knocks Off Georgetown

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Connecticut’s Braylon Mullins scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half as second-seeded UConn never trailed and kept 11th-seeded Georgetown at bay throughout a 67-51 victory in the Big East semifinals on Friday night.

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The sixth-ranked Huskies (29-4) advanced to the title game and will face top-seeded St. John’s after the Red Storm earned a 78-68 win over No. 4 seed Seton Hall in the first semifinal. UConn is attempting to win its ninth Big East tournament title and second in three seasons.

The Hoyas (16-18) saw their magic run out after reaching the semifinals. Georgetown missed a chance at playing for its first title since making a surprise run as the eighth seed in 2021.

Mullins notched his third 20-point game of his freshman season and finished three points shy of his career high set Feb. 18 against Creighton. The guard made 8 of 17 and hit three foul shots on a night when the Huskies only attempted four free throws.

Silas DeMary Jr. added 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists. DeMary was UConn’s leading rebounder and helped the Huskies to a 34-25 edge on the glass

The big performance by Mullins offset quiet nights from Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. Ball and Karaban finished with seven points apiece while Reed was held to six points and seven rebounds after getting a double-double in Thursday’s 25-point rout of Xavier.

The Huskies shot 47.5% and made 8 of 25 3s after eking a pair of close wins over the Hoyas during the regular season.

Vince Iwuchukwu led Georgetown with 11 points, but Julius Halaifonua was unable to follow up his first career double-double in Thursday’s 14-point win over Villanova. Halaifonua was held to 10 points and did not get a rebound while sitting for over 11 minutes after getting his third foul early in the second half.

The Hoyas shot 38% and were 2 of 16 from 3-point range. Georgetown also was 9-for-18 on layups

After scoring the game’s first seven points, the Huskies took a 24-14 lead with 6:48 remaining in the first half when Karaban’s backdoor layup followed a powerful dunk by Reed. Mullins scored UConn’s last eight points by hitting three jumpers and a reverse layup in the final 4:16 and the Huskies held a 32-21 lead at halftime.

Mullins and DeMary hit 3s on consecutive possessions for a 41-27 lead less than four minutes into the second. A 3 by Caleb Williams moved Georgetown within 48-40 with 8:54 left and UConn never let the lead slip any closer.

The Huskies clinched it when Mullins found Erik Reibe for a dunk that made it 57-44 with 5:28 left and took a 15-point lead on a basket by Karaban with 3:02 left.

–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

Big East Preview: UConn v. Georgetown

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The University of Connecticut recovered from a stunning loss in its regular-season finale (vs. Marquete) with a dominant performance against Xavier in the Big East tournament quarterfinals on Thursday. The BIG EAST’s second-seeded Huskies (28-4) will seek another strong showing Friday night when they face 11th-seeded Georgetown (16-17) in the semifinals.

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The winner will advance to Saturday’s championship game and will meet either top-seeded St. John’s or Seton Hall, the fourth seed.

The No. 6-ranked Huskies shot 35.6% from the field and were 3 of 24 from 3-point range in a dismal 68-62 loss at Marquette last Saturday to close the regular season. After a film session led by downcast head coach Dan Hurley, UConn advanced to the Big East semifinals with a 93-68 rout of 10th-seeded Xavier on Thursday night. It is the Huskies’ sixth straight appearance in the tournament semifinals since they rejoined the conference in the 2020-21 season.

“For us, it was just great to get back on the court after the choke job over the weekend,” Hurley said. “I was just really impressed with the way that these guys came out, the energy level. There was no residual from that performance.”

The Huskies posted their sixth win by at least 25 points this season and saw big performances from Solo Ball, Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban.

Ball scored 19 after shooting 34.1% (15 of 44) in his final five regular-season games. He was 5-of-12 shooting and sank four of UConn’s dozen 3-pointers on Thursday.

“It is a new season, and you’ve got to erase what you did before, whether it was good or bad, and just capitalize and just trust your work,” Ball said.

Reed heads into the semifinal with four straight double-doubles after totaling 17 points and a season-high 14 rebounds to lead the Huskies to a 40-28 rebounding edge Thursday.

Karaban was limited to two points at Marquette on Saturday and opened his final Big East tournament with a 15-point showing.

Georgetown is in the semifinals for the first time since winning a surprising tournament title in 2021 as the eighth seed and has won three straight games following a seven-game skid.

After opening the tournament with a 63-56 win over sixth-seeded DePaul on Wednesday, the Hoyas were even better in their 78-64 win against third-seeded Villanova on Thursday. Georgetown joined Villanova (2004) as the second double-digit seed to reach the semifinals, thanks to Julius Halaifonua getting his first career double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. The sophomore center finished one shy of his career high in points and helped the Hoyas control the glass, 46-25.

“We’re going to play one of the best teams in America,” Georgetown coach Ed Cooley said of UConn. “They have earned that right. … Danny has done an incredible job building that program back to where it’s supposed to be.

“We’re just excited that we are here. I want our men to feel how special it is to play on a Friday night in Madison Square Garden. We’re going to give them that experience, and if we continue to do what we’ve been doing the last couple of days, we’re going to give ourselves an opportunity to advance.”

The Huskies won the two regular-season games against the Hoyas by a combined six points and did not see much of Halaifonua.

In a 64-62 road win on Jan. 17, Reed had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Halaifonua played eight minutes.

On Feb. 14, Ball scored 20 points in a 79-75 home win, and Halaifonua played 15 minutes. He contributed four points and one rebound.

– By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

#11 Georgetown Upsets Villanova

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NEW YORK – Julius Halaifonua collected 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double as 11th-seeded Georgetown pulled away late in the second half for a decisive 78-64 victory over third-seeded Villanova on Thursday in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.

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The Hoyas (16-17) advanced to the semifinals for the first time since their surprise run to the 2021 title as an No. 8 seed. Georgetown will face second-seeded and sixth-ranked UConn, which rolled to a 93-68 rout of Xavier earlier Thursday.

Halaifonua made all nine of his attempts inside the 3-point arc and finished 9-for-12 overall. His best rebounding performance helped the Hoyas command the glass by a 46-25 margin.

Jeremiah Williams added 14 points and Kayvaun Mulready also scored 14, including eight straight Hoyas points when they surged to a double-digit lead late in the second half. Malik Mack scored 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting but hit a tying 3-pointer with 76 seconds left in the first half.

Caleb Williams contributed 11 as the Hoyas shot 50.8% overall and made 8 of 20 3-point attempts.

Villanova (24-8) failed in a bid to reach the semifinals for the first time since winning the title in 2022 during coach Jay Wright’s final season.

Duke Brennan led the Wildcats with 14 points and six rebounds. Tyler Perkins added 13 points and Bryce Lindsay chipped in 11, but star freshman Acaden Lewis and sixth man Devin Askew combined for 12 points on 5-of-21 shooting.

The Wildcats hit 37.7% from the floor and made only 7 of 29 3-point tries (24.1%).

The Hoyas overcame a nine-point deficit in the first half and scored the final seven points of the half for a 35-31 lead. Mulready’s four-point play with 52 seconds remaining capped a 14-2 run.

After Perkins hit a free throw to cut the gap to 47-46 with 13:33 remaining, Georgetown gradually surged ahead.

The Hoyas took a 51-46 lead when Halaifonua found a cutting Jayden Fort for a baseline dunk with 12 1/2 minutes left. Halaifonua finished off a three-point play for a 61-51 edge with 8:20 left, and the Hoyas opened a 67-53 advantage with 5:36 left when Mulready buried corner treys on consecutive trips.

-By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

Big East: Back to the Future

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Villanova’s return to prominence after three seasons of mediocrity following coach Jay Wright’s retirement will be official when its name gets selected for the NCAA Tournament.

Until the selection show on Sunday, Villanova (24-7) will attempt to improve its seeding for the NCAAs on Thursday night when the third-seeded Wildcats face 11th-seeded Georgetown (15-17) in a quarterfinal game of the Big East tournament.

After Wright retired following a Final Four appearance in 2022, assistant Kyle Neptune was promoted to the top job, and the Wildcats went a pedestrian 54-47. Following a 21-15 finish that included a 17-point loss to UConn in the quarterfinal in last year’s conference tournament, Villanova hired Kevin Willard from Maryland.

In his return to the Big East, former Seton Hall coach Willard and Villanova enter the Big East tournament with a NET rating of 33 through Wednesday. The Wildcats won 12 of their first 14 games and won six straight from Jan. 30 to Feb. 17 before winning three of their final four games and ending the regular season with double-digit wins over DePaul and Xavier.

Villanova is among the more physical teams in the league, with Duke Brennan totaling 20 points and 13 rebounds in the regular-season finale. Brennan had 14 double-doubles after transferring from Grand Canyon and grabbed a combined 23 rebounds in wins over Georgetown on Jan. 21 and Feb. 7.

“I mean, it’s a fun time of the year,” said Brennan, who made the NCAA Tournament in his previous four seasons with Arizona State and Grand Canyon. “March Madness is the best tournament ever put on. It feels good to be back, so I’m really proud of myself. But it’ll be great for those guys, especially our freshmen, younger-class guys that haven’t made it.”

Among those freshmen is guard Acaden Lewis, who averages 12.5 points a game this season and totaled 41 points on 18-of-28 shooting from the field against the Hoyas.

The Hoyas shot 34% in a 15-point loss at Villanova on Jan. 21 and 40% in an 80-73 home loss to the Wildcats on Feb. 7. The second meeting is among 15 games decided by seven points or less for the Hoyas, who improved to 4-11 in those games by earning a 63-56 victory Wednesday over sixth-seeded DePaul in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

“We didn’t have our best showing at Villanova, and we are aware of that,” Georgetown guard Jeremiah Williams said. “They played a great game when they played us, and then they got the sweep. So we’re excited to get another opportunity out of them, and we’re confident in ourselves and our approach.”

Williams scored 17 points against DePaul, but reserve forward Vincent Iwuchukwu willed the Hoyas to the win by recording 17 points and 14 rebounds. He scored 14 in the second half, including nine in the final three-plus minutes after Georgetown let a 10-point lead slip to two.

– By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

Big East: Georgetown Extends Season

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) –  Georgetown reserve Vince Iwuchukwu collected 17 points and 14 rebounds as 11th-seeded Hoyas earned a 63-56 victory over sixth-seeded DePaul Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

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The Hoyas (15-17) won their second straight following a seven-game losing streak and will face No. 3 seed Villanova in the quarterfinals Thursday night.

Jeremiah Williams also scored 17 for Hoyas before fouling out late in the contest, when Iwuchukwu helped Georgetown pull away in the final minutes.

A reserve on St. John’s Big East title team last season, Iwuchukwu scored 14 points in the second half. The forward scored nine in the final three-plus minutes after DePaul cut the lead to 44-42 on a pair of 3s by Kruz McClure, the second with 6:35 left.

Iwuchukwu hit a 3 for a 51-45 lead with 3:54 left, added a putback dunk for an eight-point lead 52 seconds later and hit two free throws for a 57-49 lead with 68 seconds left — before hitting another pair at the line in the final seconds.

Iwuchukwu shot 4 of 9 and hit 7 of 8 free throws in 23 minutes for his fifth double-double. He also helped the Hoyas attain a 42-30 rebounding edge.

Malik Mack contributed 16 points as the Hoyas shot 52% in the second half and 39.3% overall.

Layden Blocker led DePaul (16-16) with 16 points off the bench but on 5-of-14 shooting. NJ Benson added 12 but CJ Gunn was held to seven on 3-of-13 shooting.

DePaul shot 34.5% and was 9-of-21 from 3-point range. The Blue Demons also struggled at the rim by missing 12 of 16 layups.

The Blue Demons were held under 60 points for the sixth time this season and unable to produce much drama like in 2024 when they took a one-point loss to Villanova or when they took Creighton to double overtime in last season’s tournament.

DePaul missed 9 of 10 shots until Blocker’s 3 snapped a 19-19 tie with 2:07 left in the first half and the Blue Demons held a 24-21 lead by halftime. The Blue Demons then missed eight straight shots early in the second half, and Georgetown took a 35-28 lead on a putback by Iwuchukwu with 13:24 left.

The Hoyas took their first double-digit lead when Caleb Williams sank a layup for a 42-32 edge with 9:01 left. After the teams traded baskets, DePaul scored eight straight points before Georgetown regained control and finished it off.

  • By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

BIG EAST PREVIEW: No Moral Victories

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – DePaul captivated many in Madison Square Garden when it threatened Villanova before taking a 1-point loss in the 2023 Big East tournament and did the same last year when it took Creighton to double overtime in a quarterfinals loss.

DePaul accomplished more than moral victories this season, as proven by earning the sixth seed in this year’s tournament heading into Wednesday night’s first-round game against 11th-seeded Georgetown in New York City.

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The teams split their regular-season series as DePaul earned a 56-50 road win on Jan. 6, then Georgetown got even with a 70-61 win on Jan. 28 in Chicago. The winner of this rubber match earns a quarterfinal date with third-seeded Villanova on Thursday.

The Blue Demons (16-15) finished over .500 for the first time since 2018-19. They also earned their highest Big East tournament seed since joining the league in 2005.

Despite the improvement, the Blue Demons capped their regular season with double-digit home losses against Villanova and Butler that prompted a players-only meeting. Presumably, much of the discussion revolved around offense as they did not score more than 72 points any of in their final 13 games.

C.J. Gunn averages 13.3 points this season, but he shot 34 of 106 (32.1%) over his final nine games. Layden Blocker, who scored 25 in last year’s tournament game against Creighton, averages 10.9 points this year while shooting 36% from the field. That includes two 1-of-11 showings in the last five games.

Senior big man NJ Benson finished by averaging 11.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. He had six double-doubles and ended the regular season with 24 points against Butler.

“There’s always excitement going into the conference tournament,” said DePaul coach Chris Holtmann. “Our guys are a pretty resilient group, and they’ve got a good way about them right now. They were disappointed they didn’t get the five seed and the bye. Being the six seed, I think they feel good about that.”

Georgetown’s second season under coach Ed Cooley ended with a 71-67 loss to DePaul in the opening round last year. The Hoyas (14-17) were picked sixth in the preseason poll, but finished under .500 for the fourth time in five seasons.

Georgetown lost seven straight before eking out an 80-79 victory over Providence on Saturday.

Georgetown lost 11 of 17 conference games by single digits, including a two-point loss to UConn on Jan. 17 and a three-point loss at St. John’s on March 3.

In Saturday’s win, 7-foot-1 senior Vince Iwuchukwu led the Hoyas with a career-high 25 points while Kayvaun Mulready added 12 after leading the team in scoring the previous two games.

“This game was clearly indicative, and we were fortunate today just to get a win, the win that we needed,” Cooley said. “Looking forward to going to New York and facing DePaul.”

The Hoyas are playing their fourth game since losing leading scorer KJ Lewis (14.9 ppg) to an ankle injury. They hope to see Malik Mack produce a similar showing to his 7-of-13 performance against St. John’s.

–Field Level Media

BIG EAST Update: Nov. 23

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WASH DC – (Staff Report from Official Conference News Release) – BIG EAST teams were 3-0 on Saturday.  Georgetown moved to 5-0 with a home win over Wagner, Marquette used a strong second half to down Central Michigan, and late long-range shooting propelled Providence past Penn State at Mohegan Sun.
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Georgetown 92, Wagner 75 – Box Score
The Hoyas are now 5-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season.  Balanced scoring efforts were in full display, tallying a season-high 92 points in a win over Wagner.  Malik Mack led Georgetown with 18 points, connecting on four 3-pointers while also tallying five assists.  Julius Halaifonua registered new career-highs in scoring (16) and rebounding (9).  GU also tallied 21 assists on 29 made field goals for the game.
Marquette 85, Central Michigan 71 – Box Score
Chase Ross was outstanding once again for the Golden Eagles, finishing with 27 points (7-8 FG; 12-14 FT), five rebounds, and seven assists.  Zaide Lowery added 12 points and five assists as seven Marquette players tallied at least six points.  For the game, MU tallied 42 of its 85 points in the paint and connected on nearly 53% of its shot attempts, while recording 21 assists on 28 field goals.
Providence 77, Penn State 65 – Box Score
Stefan Vaaks’ pair of late-game 3-pointers pushed the Friars ahead of Penn State at the Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun.  Leading by three – 68-65 – late, Vaaks connected on a 3-pointer out of a timeout with 1:58 to play and added a second trifecta off a PSU turnover. Jason Edwards tallied 14 points and six rebounds, while Jaylin Sellers added 13 points.  Oswin Erhunmwunse narrowly missed a double-double (11 pts/8 reb) to go with four blocks.
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Sunday features four BIG EAST games, beginning with Butler and Virginia in the title game of the Greenbriar Tip-Off at 2 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.  Xavier finishes up play in the Shriners Children Charleston Classic, taking on West Virginia at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.  No. 3/3 UConn hosts Bryant in Hartford at 6 p.m. on truTV, while DePaul takes on Detroit Mercy at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
CBSSN
Butler vs. Virginia – 2 p.m.
Jack Benjamin (pxp); Anne O’Neil (analyst)
ESPN
Xavier vs. West Virginia – 3:30 p.m.
John Schriffen (pxp); Scott Williams (analyst)
truTV
Bryant at UConn – 6 p.m. ET
Brendan Glasheen (pxp); Steve Smith (analyst)
ESPN+
Detroit Mercy at DePaul – 6 p.m. ET – Watch
Evan Stockton (pxp); Jerel McNeal (analyst)

BIG EAST: DePaul Faces Tough Georgetown Challenge

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NEW YORK – Georgetown showed major improvement in coach Ed Cooley’s second season as Micah Peavy earned a spot on the All-Big East first team and injured center Thomas Sorber made the third team and the conference’s all-rookie team.

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Still there were moments of inconsistency for the seventh-seeded Hoyas (17-14), who oppose 10th-seeded DePaul in the first round of the Big East tournament Wednesday night with the winner advancing to face second-seeded Creighton on Thursday.

The Hoyas are 2-4 since Sorber’s last game and ended the season with an 83-77 loss at DePaul on Sunday that infuriated Cooley. While Peavy scored 29 points, the Hoyas allowed 56.6 percent shooting.

“We know in order to win games, everyone has to step up,” Peavy said. “We haven’t had a full squad for most of the year, but we’ve still been in close games, and we’ve learned how to execute when it counts.”

DePaul (13-18) nearly beat Villanova in the opening round last season before taking a one-point loss to end a 3-29 season. The Blue Demons improved by 10 victories in coach Chris Holtmann’s debut season and are coming off consecutive wins over Providence and Georgetown.

DePaul scored at least 80 points and shot at least 50 percent in the wins over the Friars and Hoyas. It was the first time the Blue Demons shot at least 50 percent in consecutive conference games since Jan. 2-6, 2019, and the first time it scored at least 80 in consecutive conference games since Feb. 27-March 2, 2022.

“I think that you want to be playing well late,” Holtmann said. “One of our goals this year, I said, ‘I’d like for us to be able to say we’re playing well late.’ And that’s clearly demonstrated here. So I think we hit that goal, now we need to play well in New York.”

DePaul is led by CJ Gunn (12.8 points) and Isaiah Rivera (10.7), who combined for 38 points on 13-of-26 shooting on Saturday. Rivera scored a season-high 21 against the Hoyas for his fifth straight double-figure outing.

–Field Level Media

Providence Romps in Big East

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Josh Oduro posted 20 points and nine rebounds as seventh-seeded Providence defeated 10th-seeded Georgetown 74-56 in the first round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday.

Providence’s Devin Carter, who was named Big East Player of the Year hours before the game, tallied 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Ticket Gaines shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

The Friars (20-12) made 12 of 32 attempts from deep as they kept their faint NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They will face No. 8 Creighton, the second seed, in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Georgetown (9-23) saw its first season under coach Ed Cooley come to an end in ignominious fashion. Cooley, Providence’s coach for 12 years, finished the season 0-3 against the Friars.

Jayden Epps poured in 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting to power the Hoyas’ offense.

Georgetown turned an 18-point deficit into a 64-56 game with 3:40 left after Drew Fielder contributed eight points, including two 3-pointers, and Epps made a driving layup.

Oduro made two free throws, and after Epps missed a pair of his own, Carter pulled up for a long 3-pointer that rattled around the rim and dropped to give the Friars a 13-point lead with 2:51 to go. From there, they were not seriously threatened.

Georgetown finished the game 4-of-19 from the foul line, with Epps shooting 3-of-11 there.

Providence was ahead 9-7 when Rich Barron knocked down a transition 3-pointer to spark a 11-0 run. Gaines hit a trey to make it 20-7 Friars, and Cooley called a timeout to stem the tide.

Another triple by Gaines gave Providence a 14-point lead. Epps kept the Hoyas in the game by making a 3-pointer while being fouled to the ground and finishing the four-point play.

Epps brought Georgetown within 28-21 with 9:25 left in the half, but Garwey Dual and Corey Floyd Jr. joined Providence’s 3-point party. Oduro’s free throws in the final minute gave the Friars a 40-27 halftime lead.

The Hoyas fell behind 45-27 early in the second half before forging a comeback. Rowan Brumbaugh set up Dontrez Styles for a reverse dunk, but less than a minute later Oduro tossed it to Carter and he elevated in the lane for an alley-oop of his own.

Georgetown drew within 49-40 while Providence went scoreless for a 4:50 stretch. Oduro knocked down a 3-pointer with 11:22 left to end that drought.

Carter deflected a pass near halfcourt and took it in for a dunk to make it 61-46 with 7:53 left.

–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

Seton Hall Endures; Defeats Hoyas

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release0 – On a night that saw the BIG EAST Tournament feel like old times, packed house of 17,163 and three gripping games with outstanding individual performances and renewed rivalries.

Georgetown travelled to the Garden knowing their last victory against a Big East opponent came in last year’s BIG EAST Tournament title game, a mere 362 days ago. During the season, the Hoyas held a halftime lead against a conference foe in just three games and never by more than three points. And last night’s three-point lead over Seton Hall was its first at the half since Feb.9 against DePaul.

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The Pirates came into the BIG EAST Tournament as the conference’s hottest team, winning their final five straight and eight of their last 10. They had just logged their sixth 20-win season in the past seven years and the Pirates kind of had the Hoyas number of late, having won 12 of the last 16 against Georgetown.

So it should have been little more than a walk in the park for the Pirates, no?

Um, no. And the Pirates should have known as much as they had just played the Hoyas a week ago and needed to rally late to take down Georgetown in a five-point win on The Hall’s Senior Night. So it should have come as no surprise that the third tilt of the season between the Pirates and Hoyas would once again go down to the wire as it did. But the Pirates used an 11-3 run over the final 4:38 to rally from a four-point deficit and pull out a hard-fought 57-53 victory.

The Pirates (21-9) move on to face No. 3 seed UConn in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Pirates and Huskies split the season series with Seton Hall winning, 90-87, in overtime on Jan. 8 before UConn evened the score with a 70-65 win on Feb. 16.

A three-pointer by Jamir Harris with 40.3 seconds to play gave the Pirates the lead for good at 55-53. But the Hoyas were not about to go quietly. With 27 seconds to play, Georgetown’s Collin Holloway had a wide open look on a three-pointer from the corner, but his shot clanged off the rim and right to teammate Donald Carey. But Carey’s attempt at a putback to tie the game was squashed when The Hall’s Ike Obiagu blocked his seventh shot of the game.

But after Seton Hall’s Alexis Yetna misfired on a free throw with 20.2 seconds to play, Georgetown had one more opportunity to either tie or win the game in the final seconds. But Carey made an errant pass to Kaiden Rice with six seconds to play and Jared Rhoden sank two free throws with two seconds left to ice the win for the Pirates.

Rhoden finished with 17 points to lead the Pirates while Myles Cale added 14. Freshman Aminu Mohammed was tops for the Hoyas with 12.

Afterwards, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard credited his team’s poise with helping to pull out the victory over a feisty bunch of Hoyas.

“What’s great about this group is that they never get rattled,” Willard said. “We got down four and they understood what we had to do and it’s nice having that veteran presence.”

That’s six straight wins for the Pirates who now turn their attention to the third-seeded Huskies, who will be coming at The Hall with BIG EAST All-First Teamers R.J. Cole and Adama Sanogo. The Huskies have also won six of their last seven coming into the tournament.

“The biggest thing is we rebounded in the second half and in the first half they really kicked our butts on the boards,” Willard said. “So going against a very physical UConn team, we’re going to have to rebound the basketball.”