Junior guards Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges combined for 56 points (31 for Brunson, 25 for Bridges) as the Villanova Wildcats won the Big East men's basketball tournament with a 76-66 overtime win over the Providence Friars at Madison Square Garden.
Sophomore guard Alpha Diallo posted a double-double (22 points and 10 rebounds) for Providence, while senior guard Kyron Cartwright scored 19 (15 in the second half).
Brunson shot 12-of-23 from the field, including 4-of-9 from downtown. His two clutch free throws with 30 seconds left in the second half tied the game at 60 and helped force the game into overtime.
Once the game hit the extra session, Brunson and Bridges took over, as they scored or assisted on all of Villanova's field goals. Brunson also pitched in six boards and four assists on the night.
Nova's big men dominated the glass, as junior forward Eric Paschall and freshman forward Omari Spellman combined for 22 rebounds (13 for Paschall, nine for Spellman).
Spellman was also tough on defense, as he blocked four shots and accrued two steals.
Brunson and Bridges nearly outscored Providence in the first half, as they combined for 25 points in leading the Wildcats to a 31-27 halftime advantage.
Brunson got hot from deep and hit three of five three-pointers en route to a 13-point performance, while Bridges scored seven points in a 10-0 Villanova run to give the Wildcats a 21-11 lead. The junior guard finished the first half with 12 points.
After Bridges' three-pointer to put Villanova up 10, Providence went on a 9-0 run capped by a layup from Diallo, who posted 11 points, six rebounds and two steals heading into the break. The run also included this nifty Eurostep from Cartwright, as Fox College Hoops captured:
Despite Providence's fight to get back in the game, Villanova took a four-point lead into halftime thanks in part to eight Friars turnovers.
Brunson started the second half on a personal 8-0 run, which included a wild sequence in which Villanova grabbed four offensive rebounds in one possession before a corner three-pointer, via Villanova's official Twitter account:
A Paschall two-pointer later gave Villanova a 51-41 lead with 11:11 left, but Cartwright proceeded to catch fire and score eight straight points over one minute, 32 seconds, including this shot from downtown, courtesy of the Friars' official Twitter account:
Sophomore guard Drew Edwards then converted on a three-point play to give the Friars a one-point lead.
The two teams proceeded to trade field goals and free throws for the remainder of the second half. A clutch Cartwright shot tied the game at 58 with 1:42 left:
Diallo gave the Friars a 60-58 lead with a layup, but Brunson responded with the aforementioned free throws. Cartwright had a chance to give Providence the win at the end of regulation, but his shot did not fall through.
Villanova will assuredly be a No. 1 seed when the NCAA tournament bracket is released Sunday. Providence should safely make March Madness with an at-large bid, especially after its upset win over Xavier in the Big East semifinals (Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report has it as a No. 9 seed).
from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2IhMrHr
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