NEWARK, N.J.– A record sellout crowd of 16,863, who showed up at the Prudential Center here in anticipation of watching a coronation, will have to wait until Saturday to see if eighth-ranked Seton Hall can clinch the Big East regular season championship with a victory at Creighton.
Villanova rained on the Pirates’ parade, keeping its chance alive for a piece of a sixth title in seven years when 6-8 sophomore wing Saddiq Bey, who has emerged in the last month as an NBA lottery pick, scored 20 points as the young, 14th-ranked Wildcats defeated the Hall, 79-77, in an emotional Senior Night game with a dramatic finish.
“It was a great college basketball game,’’ Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “I think they’re one of the best teams in the country. I really do. We played Baylor. We played Kansas. I think they’re right up there with those guys. So therefore, that’s a hell of a road victory against a team that we have great respect for. To come up here and do that, that’s a great effort for our guys.’’
The young, rotation challenged Cats (23-7, 12-5) not only won on the road, they did it without getting a point from their bench. Freshman guard Justin Moore and junior forward Jermaine Samuels added 19 points while freshman forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had nine points and 11 rebounds as Villanova opened the possibility of the league having a three- way tie for first place. Collin Gillespie added 12 points for the Cats, who led the Big East in free throw shooting heading into the game, kept the game within reach by missing seven free throws in the final 1:03.
“It’s basketball, man. We work on it,’’ Wright said. “We shoot. Sometimes they don’t go in and you’ve got to be able to do other things. You can’t be afraid to miss. Like we say, ‘Shoot them up or sleep in the streets.’’’
Sandro Mumukelashvili, a 6- 11 ½ junior from the country of Georgia, led the Hall (21-8, 13-4) with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Quincy McKnight added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists and guard Myles Powell, a likely first team All American, had 14 points and eight assists in their final home game.
The Pirates, one of 15 teams that are legitimate threats to win the national championship, rallied from a 14- point second half deficit to pull within 78-76 and had a chance to steal the game with 5 seconds left, but Powell’s three pointer bounced off the rim. Samuels made one of two free throws with three seconds to play. The Hall pushed the ball up the court, but Myles Cale couldn’t get off a shot before the buzzer.
‘This one was rough,’’ Powell said. “My last time here. I didn’t go out the way we wanted to but we fought. We fought until we saw zeroes on the clock. I just wished it has turned out a little better.’’
The Hall, which has a one game lead over Nova and 11-ranked Creighton (23-7, 12-5), can still win its first Big East regular season championship in 27 years if the Pirates defeat the Blue jays Saturday in Omaha. Nova can be the two seed in the Big East tournament if the Cats win at Georgetown and the Hall wins. Or they can forge a three- way tie for first if they win and Creighton beats the Pirates.
“I feel like we play better when our backs are against the wall, anyway, so we always tend to make it harder for ourselves,’’ Powell said. “I always say there’s better days ahead, and that’s how I’m going to look at it. We’re still No. 1 in the conference, we still are a game up. We’ve been in this situation and we’re built for this.’’
