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| Seton Hall won it's first Big East championship since 1993 and will play in their first NCAA Tournament since 2006. |
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
New York, NY - Congratulations to coach Kevin Willard and his Seton Hall Pirates on winning their first Big East Tournament championship since 1993!
Villanova used a 14-2 run to open the second half to erase an 11-point deficit, after which the Pirates spent the remainder of the game fending off a furious comeback attempt. The Wildcats tied the game four times before taking their first lead of the second half on a Kris Jenkins three-pointer with less than a minute left to play. The Pirates took their final lead of the game when tournament MVP Isaiah Whitehead drove the lane and hit a short jumper while being fouled. The ensuing free throw gave Seton Hall a 68-67 lead.
Video courtesy of Fox Sports
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| Score and game recap courtesy of The Score |
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| Complete bracket for the 2016 Big East Tournament from Wikipedia |
Seton Hall can now anxiously look ahead to Sunday, when they will learn their tournament fate. The Pirates are playing their best basketball of the season right now, and their play in the Big East Tournament should greatly improve their seeding for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Coming into this week, the Pirates were projected to be a #8 or #9-seed. Having won the Big East championship, they could be looking at a #5 or #6-seed, which makes selection Sunday pretty intriguing for Seton Hall fans.
With the loss, Villanova's status as a #1-seed heading into the tournament, is very much in jeopardy. USA Today bracketologist Shelby Mast has already moved the Wildcats to a #2-seed.
This should come as a warning to the rest of the NCAA field. If you're matched-up with the Seton Hall Pirates, don't take them lightly. They've flown under the radar this year because nobody has given them the credit they deserve. But they've shown themselves to be a very dangerous team, so be warned, NCAA, you don't want to overlook the Seton Hall Pirates.
