AVERT YOUR EYES: Seton Hall’s Fuquan Edwin, who scored a game-high 17 points, fights for a loose ball with South Florida’s Anthony Collins in last night’s 46-42 Pirates victory in the opening round of the Big East Tournament at the Garden. (
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March Badness.
For all of the Big East fans out there who have been bemoaning the realignment of this conference, it took the first game of the league tournament to make it painfully clear that change is good — and necessary.
Seton Hall outlasted South Florida, 46-42, in overtime in what would have been the lowest-scoring game in Big East Tournament history had Fuquan Edwin not converted two free throws with 0.9 seconds left. Georgetown beat Villanova 46-41 in a 2003 tournament game. The two teams were tied at 37 at the end of regulation.
“It was like there was a lid on the rim,’’ South Florida coach Stan Heath said.
The Pirates (15-17) play Syracuse (23-8) today in the second round. The Bulls, an NCAA Tournament team a year ago, finish at 12-19.
The Orange beat the Hall, 76-65, in their only meeting this season. Syracuse, once considered a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, has lost four of five.
“Syracuse’s struggles are a product of who they’ve played,’’ a gracious Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said.
The Pirates seemed destined for an opening night loss, trailing 37-29 with 2:50 remaining. But Edwin, who had a game-high 17 points, took over, driving for a layup with 22 seconds left. The Bulls missed three shots in the final 11 seconds of regulation. Edwin’s layup with 1:09 left in OT put the Hall up 44-42.
“It was a sluggish game from the start,’’ Edwin said. “But a win is a win.’’
And an eyesore is an eyesore.
As the Big East mutated from a basketball-centric conference, of which the Hall was a charter member and once a power, into a ghoulish hybrid of schools more committed to football, it hurt programs such as Seton Hall and South Florida.
Seton Hall fell to the bottom of the smaller Catholic schools. South Florida had some hoops success but its basketball will always play second cousin to football.
The Pirates likely will have a better chance of succeeding in the new Big East. South Florida will be with more similar, large state schools in the soon-to-be named new league.
And, thankfully, the two won’t meet again in a postseason conference tournament anytime soon.