West Virginia is last Big East team in NCAA tournament

syracuse, n.y. — — Syracuse lost to Butler in the West and, in the East, on Syracuse’s home floor, West Virginia trailed Washington at the half.

Was this the endgame for the Big East in the NCAA Tournament?

As it turns out … no.

West Virginia, known now as “the last Big East team standing,” imposed its will in the second half and pulled away with a 69-56 regional semifinal victory at the Carrier Dome.

West Virginia (30-6) advances to play the Cornell-Kentucky winner for the East Regional title on Saturday, the winner earning a spot in next week’s Final Four in Indianapolis. Washington’s season ends at 26-10.

West Virginia players found out after the game that Syracuse had lost to Butler in Salt Lake City.

For the Mountaineers, though, it’s not about just being the last team left from the Big East.

“We want to be the last one standing, period,” Coach Bob Huggins said.

West Virginia outrebounded Washington, 49-29, and held a team averaging nearly 80 points per game to fewer than 60.

The Mountaineers’ length advantage, tenacious defense and 1-3-1 press gave Washington second-half fits. West Virginia also effectively used 6-foot-9 Devin Ebanks to guard Washington’s 5-8 point guard, Isaiah Thomas.

“It was a very physical game,” West Virginia senior Da’Sean Butler said at the postgame news conference. “You see that everyone has ice on. They played with great intensity and we matched that.”

Butler, the team’s star, finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Jones led the Mountaineers with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Yet, it was defense and toughness that rescued West Virginia.

“In the last three or four weeks, we have become a very good defensive team,” Huggins said.

The Big East advanced only two teams — Syracuse and West Virginia — to the Sweet 16 after earning eight NCAA bids.

West Virginia struggled early against Washington but went on a 17-5 run midway through the second half to take a 13-point lead.

Washington cut the lead to six, 56-50, after baskets by Thomas and Quincy Pondexter, but West Virginia built the lead back to 10 on Jones’ put-back basket with 4:13 left.

West Virginia was playing the regional semifinal without starting point guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant, out with a broken foot.

To sort of even things up, Washington played a lot of the first half without leading scorer Pondexter, who logged only seven first-half minutes after picking up three fouls.

Pondexter was held scoreless in the first half and made his first basket with 17:30 remaining in the game.

It wasn’t a shock Washington got to halftime with a 29-27 lead.

The shock was Washington getting no points from its best player.

Pondexter had scored 18 points in each of Washington’s first two tournament wins, including the game-winner with 1.7 seconds against Marquette.

Justin Holiday made up the difference, though, making two three-point shots and scoring 10 first-half points. Holiday made the Pac-10’s all-defensive team this year but averages only 5.6 points per game. Holiday led Washington with 14 points, while Thomas had 13.

“It’s always tough when you don’t win your last game,” Washington Coach Lorenzo Romar said. “For the last two months I thought we played exceptional basketball. We played against an exceptional team tonight.”

[email protected]