Georgetown Rolls Marquette, WVU Survives Notre Dame As Both Advance To Finals

Over the course of the 2010 Big East Tournament, Georgetown has taken on a reputation to brute, overpowering force while West Virginia has found a way to eek out win after win. Both of those reputations were evident Friday night as each team advanced to the conference tournament finals.

Greg Monroe dominated the paint with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and 22nd-ranked Georgetown returned to the Big East Tournament final for the third time in four years with an 80-57 victory over Marquette. Just like against Syracuse, the Hoyas shot down the opposing offense in the 2nd half and overpowered Marquette in the paint.

All season long people have been saying the Hoyas have the potential and talent to beat anyone if they play up to it. If this week is any indication, they’re doing just that.

Last Saturday, Da’Sean Butler’s floater with 5.7 seconds left sealed the deal on a win over Villanova. Then on Thursday, Butler’s buzzer-beating three-pointer gave the Mountaineers a 54-51 win over Cincinnati. Friday night, West Virginia didn’t need a last-second shot to beat Notre Dame, but the final score was just as close.

Da’Sean Butler scored 24 points and hauled in seven rebounds, and the seventh-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers survived yet again with a 53-51 win over Notre Dame. Ben Hansbrough led the Irish with 17.

The Mountaineers advance to the final for the first time since 2005 when they lost to Syracuse. The Hoyas return to try and win their 2nd Big East title in four years and eighth all-time. The Mountaineers defeated the Hoyas 81-68 on March 1st but this Georgetown team seems different than that one, even only a few weeks later.