2010 Big East Basketball Tournament: Marquette vs Villanova

How the mighty have fallen.

The late-season swoon for Villanova continued in the Big East Conference Tournament on Thursday, as the tenth-ranked and fourth-seeded Wildcats were knocked out by Marquette in an 80-76 thriller, their fifth loss in their last six games.

The four-point victory for Marquette marked MU's 13th game of the season against Big East conference opponents that has been decided by four points or fewer. Marquette was coming off of a 57-55 victory over St. John’s in the second round, while Villanova was seeing its first action of the tournament following a double-bye as one of the top four finishers in regular season play.

In the first twenty minutes, both teams struggled to find a rhythm. When Marquette jumped in front, Villanova answered. After falling behind 26-19 as halftime drew near, Villanova charged back to a 30-30 stalemate with 20 minutes to play. Early indications from both sidelines led many observers to believe that the offensive problems plaguing most tournament participants had reared their ugly head in the second quarterfinal game, but the second half had surprises waiting for those who were watching.

The second half was a virtual slugfest, with both teams trading blows without relent. With 12 minutes remaining, Villanova held a slim 52-49 lead that would soon evaporate following a Marquette run which continued to the five-minute mark, reaching 24-9, and culminated in an eight-point lead for the Golden Eagles as time wound down.

However, Villanova was not done. After VU's Corey Stokes tied the game at 70 with 2:21 remaining, Lazar Hayward answered with a three of his own to give Marquette a lead it would not surrender. Key free throws in the final 90 seconds kept the pesky Wildcats at bay, as Marquette flew into the semifinals with a hard-earned victory. Darius Johnson-Odom of Marquette led all scorers with 24 points. Coming off of the bench, Corey Stokes led Villanova with 22 points, including 6-of-7 shooting beyond the arc.

As Marquette conceivably moves up in the NCAA Tournament brackets with each move deeper into the Big East tournament, Villanova is left to ponder the issues that have led to a late-season nosedive. The last regular season loss, in overtime at the hands of West Virginia, cost Villanova a higher seed in the Big East Tournament. What remains to be seen is how the early exit in the conference tournament will affect the Cats' seeding in the Big Dance.

WHAT’S NEXT

The cardiac crew from Wisconsin refuses to go away, advancing to the Big East Tournament semifinals to meet eighth-seeded Georgetown, with the winner advancing to the championship game to face either West Virginia or Notre Dame. The postseason fate of the Golden Eagles is not in question but every win in the Big East Tournament moves them higher and higher up the ladder, and more removed from the dreaded 8-9 game in a given region. Tip-off for Marquette vs. Georgetown is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night, with television coverage provided by ESPN.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

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WHAT’S NEXT