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Big East, Bigger Saturday

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – BIG EAST teams compiled a 7-0 record on Saturday that included rivalry game wins, two victories over previously unbeaten squads and three wins on the road.  Going into Sunday’s games, BIG EAST teams have a combined record of 73-19 (79 percent).

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St. John’s and Georgetown beat unbeaten squads. In a BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, the Johnnies edged West Virginia 70-68 at Madison Square Garden. Rasheem Dunn scored nine of his 13 points in the second half, including two free throws with five seconds left. L.J. Figueroa scored a team-high 17 points. WVU had started 7-0.

Georgetown went 2-0 on its trip to the Southwest after a 91-74 win at SMU, which was 8-0 going into the contest. The Hoyas blew out of the gates with a 20-2 start. Jahvon Blair came off the bench to score a career-high 21 points, all on 3-pointers.

In addition to the Hoyas, the road warriors were Marquette and Villanova. In a BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, the Golden Eagles built a 14-point lead in the second half at Kansas State and went back to Milwaukee with a 73-65 win. Markus Howard scored 19 points and Jamal Cain provided a huge lift off the bench with 17 points and nine rebounds. Villanova led by 16 in the second half, then held on at Saint Joseph’s to win 78-66. Saddiq Bey led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Xavier won the hotly-contested Crosstown Shootout 73-66 over Cincinnati. Naji Marshall tied a career high with 31 points and added eight rebounds and five steals. The Musketeers led by as many as 16 points in the second half.

In the other local rivalry, Creighton had little trouble with Nebraska in a 95-76 victory. Marcus Zegarowski had a monster game with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Ty-Shon Alexander chipped in 22 points. The Bluejays started fast and led 37-7.

Butler used a balance scoring attack in a 76-62 win over Florida at a jammed Hinkle Fieldhouse. Sean McDermott and Aaron Thompson each scored 16 points. Jordan Tucker had 13 points and Kamar Baldwin added 11.

Sunday’s schedule doesn’t start until 5 p.m. ET when 9-0 DePaul hosts Buffalo on FS1. In another BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, Seton Hall plays at Iowa State at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The Pirates and the Cyclones met in their last game, an 84-76 Pirate win in the Battle for Atlantis tournament.

Big East Desk:

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – As the college basketball season progresses into more meaningful contests, a seven-game Saturday schedule includes rivalry games and quality intersectional matchups for Big East teams.

The rivalry games started on Friday when Providence and Rhode Island met for the 130th time. URI pulled away late in the second half and won 75-61. Alpha Diallo led PC (5-5) with 13 points. David Duke added 12 points and six rebounds. The loss dropped conference teams to a combined record of an impressive 66-19 (77-percent).

Today, at Noon ET, Butler puts its undefeated mark on the line when it hosts Florida on the FOX tv network. The 8-0 Bulldogs have won 55 in a row at Hinkle Fieldhouse against non-conference foes, the longest streak in the nation.

The BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle continues with two games. At noon, St. John’s hosts West Virginia at Madison Square Garden. The Mountaineers have started 7-0, while the Johnnies have won their last three. Later in the evening, Marquette plays at Kansas State on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. Marquette won last year’s meeting 83-71 with Markus Howard scoring 45 points.

Three intense local rivalries start with Creighton hosting Nebraska at 2:30 p.m. on FS1. The Bluejays have won 11 straight at home against the Cornhuskers. At 3 p.m. on ESPN2, Villanova takes the short ride to Saint Joseph’s for its third Philadelphia Big 5 game of the week. Villanova has already knocked off La Salle (83-72) and Penn (80-69). Xavier hosts Cincinnati in the rivalry known as the Crosstown Shootout at 5 p.m. on FS1. The Musketeers have won seven straight at home against the Bearcats and eight of the last 12 overall.

After an 81-74 win at Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Georgetown stayed in the Southwest to prepare for its game at SMU at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Mac McClung provided the offensive punch at Oklahoma State with 33 points.

Big East Desk:

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CINCINNATI – (Staff Report from Official New Release) – Xavier and St. John’s posted Saturday wins by similar scores while Georgetown took a loss. On Sunday, Marquette plays for a tournament title, Providence finishes its tourney competition and Villanova hosts a local rival.

Xavier, ranked 25th in the AP poll, placed four players in double figures for the third time this season en route to an 87-62 victory over Lipscomb at Cintas Center. Paul Scruggs and freshman Zach Freemantle led with 15 points apiece. Tyrique Jones recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Naji Marshall chipped in 13 points.

St. John’s also put four players in double figures in an 86-63 victory against Wagner at Carnesecca Arena. Mustapha Heron snapped out of a short scoring slump with 18 points in only 16 minutes of playing time. Newcomer Rasheem Dunn added 14 points off the bench. Josh Roberts and freshman Julian Champagnie finished with 12 points. Roberts also had nine rebounds.

Georgetown led UNC Greensboro 58-54 with 3:37 to play, but could not hold on, losing 65-61. James Akinjo had a team-high 12 points and Omer Yurtseven added 10 points and nine rebounds. The Hoyas were hurt by 19 turnovers.

On Sunday, Marquette meets No. 5 Maryland for the championship of the Orlando Invitational at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. Markus Howard has already set the tournament scoring record with 91 points in two games. He had 40 points against Davidson and 51 against USC in the first two rounds.

Providence will try to leave the Wooden Legacy with a win when it meets Pepperdine at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. The Friars have lost twice, including a 63-55 defeat to College of Charleston on Friday. PC leads the BIG EAST with a +6.5 turnover margin.

Villanova starts its Philadelphia Big 5 series when it hosts La Salle at 6:30 p.m. on FS1. The 22nd-ranked Wildcats have four players averaging in double figures, led by Collin Gillespie, who is scoring at a 15.3 clip.

BIG EAST teams are 56-17 (.771) going into Sunday’s games.

Marquette’s Howard Lights It Up

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KISSIMMEE (Staff report from Official News Release) – In Friday action, DePaul and Creighton posted notable victories. Marquette and Seton Hall also picked up wins that were backed up with record-setting performances.

DePaul led most of the way and held on in the final minute to nail down a 73-68 win over Minnesota. Charlie Moore posted his second straight double-double, finishing with 21 points and 12 assists. Paul Reed had 11 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight blocks. He is only the fifth player in school history to have at least eight blocks. The Blue Demons’ eight-game winning streak is the longest since a nine-game run in 1993-94.

Late last night, Creighton knocked off No. 12 Texas Tech 83-76 in overtime in the third-place game of the Las Vegas Invitational. Marcus Zegarowski scored a career-high 32 points and made the first basket in overtime that gave the Bluejays the lead for good. Ty-Shon Alexander added 18 points and 12 rebounds for this first career double-double.

Marquette’s Marcus Howard could not be stopped, flooding the nets for 51 points in a 101-79 victory over USC in the Orlando Invitational semifinals. His 51-point performance broke his own tournament record of 40 points set on Thursday. Howard’s 91 points is already an Orlando Invitational scoring mark. Howard was 14-of-24 from the field, 9-of-17 form 3-point range and 14-of-17 from the foul line. Marquette will play No. 5 Maryland Sunday for the tourney crown.

Seton Hall’s Powell scored a team-high 24 points in an 84-76 victory against Iowa State in the fifth-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis. For the three games, Powell, who made the All-Tournament Team, set a tourney record with 74 points. Against Iowa State, he had 19 points in the second half. Sandro Mamukelashvili helped with 18 points and six rebounds.

Providence took a second loss at the Wooden Legacy, dropping a 63-55 decision to College of Charleston. David Duke scored a career-high 22 points. A 12-1 run early in the second half gave Charleston control of the contest.

BIG EAST teams are 54-16 (.771) going into Saturday’s play.

There’s no tournament play on Saturday’s schedule, but there are three “regular” games. FS2 will telecast St. John’s hosting Wagner at noon ET followed by Georgetown meeting UNC Greensboro at 2 p.m. At noon, No. 25 Xavier meets Lipscomb at Cintas Center on FSN.

Big East Update:

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PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS – Marquette and Seton Hall enjoyed Thanksgiving Day victories in a 2-2 holiday for BIG EAST teams.

Marquette’s Markus Howard poured in 40 points – his fifth 40-point game of his career – to lead the Golden Eagles past Davidson 73-63 in the first round of the Orlando Invitational. Howard scored 25 of his 40 points in the second half.

Seton Hall bounced back from a two-point loss to No. 11 Oregon with an 81-56 victory against Southern Miss in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Myles Powell scored 18 points and Sandro Mamukelashvili offered strong support with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Creighton suffered from some cold shooting against San Diego State in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational and lost 83-52. The Aztecs used an 18-0 run late in the first half to pull away from the Bluejays. Mitch Ballock had a team-high 12 points for the Bluejays, who shot 4-of-23 from 3-point range.

Providence let a 17-point lead slip away in a 66-65 loss to Long Beach State in the first round of the Wooden Legacy. Long Beach State made three free throws with three seconds left to get the win. Luwane Pipkins finished with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for PC. Alpha Diallo had 11 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists.

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