It was a very rough day for the top seeds of the Big East tournament as only one survived (and that team needed a last second shot to do so). One team may have lost much more than a basketball game on Thursday.
The big news: Syracuse loses game, Onuaku to injury
Georgetown defeated Syracuse 91-84 in the first game on day 3 of the 2010 Big East tournament. The big story coming out of this game, however, is the injured knee of Syracuse starting center Arinze Onuaku. Onuaku went down with roughly five minutes to play and was helped to the locker room where his family was soon escorted to. After the game, he was seen on crutches. An MRI is scheduled for Friday. The loss of Onuaku as well as the loss to Georgetown could end up costing Syracuse a number one seed in the 2010 NCAA tournament. Syracuse enters the NCAA tournament on a two game losing streak.
Marquette vs. Villanova
Marquette won another close game, this time outlasting Villanova 80-76 in the Big East tournament quarterfinal match-up. Villanova out-shot Marquette 54 percent to 48 percent from the field as a whole but Marquette drained 61 percent of its three-point attempts (11-17) and 19 of 24 free throws. The Golden Eagles also caused 14 Villanova turnovers. In the final couple of minutes, it was Marquette, not Villanova, that made the clutch shots. Both teams had four players with ten or more points. Marquette guard Darius Johnson-Odom was the leading scorer of the Big East tournament quarterfinal game, finishing with 24 points (making five of seven three pointers).
Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh
Notre Dame won its six straight basketball game, thanks in large part to arguably the best sixth man currently in college basketball. Luke Harangody scored twelve for Notre Dame coming off the bench and the Fighting Irish played a ball-control offense the drained the clock down en route to a 50-45 victory. Neither team managed to score 20 points in the second half of what many average college basketball fans would consider to be a boring game. Notre dame out-shot the Panthers 53 percent to 39 percent in the Big East tournament game.
Cincinnati vs. West Virginia
Cincinnati guard Dion Dixon fumbled the ball out of bounds with 3.1 seconds left on the clock and the game tied at 51. West Virginia forward Da’Sean Butler then banked in a three pointer as time expired to win the game for the Mountaineers 54-51, making West Virginia the only top team to escape the Big East tournament quarterfinals with a victory. It was a terribly sloppy game (WVU shot 35 percent while Cincy shot just under 33 percent) and, with under two minutes to play, it appeared neither team may hit the 50 point mark.
Friday’s Big East tournament games
Georgetown vs. Marquette 7 pm
Notre Dame vs. West Virginia approx. 9-9:30 pm
