By Brian Hamilton
NEW YORK -- The Bataan march of the Big East tournament might have people dizzied from five straight days of basketball, but West Virginia and Georgetown fans are seeing clearly, and Madison Square Garden has been crackling from pregame introductions onward.
The product has matched the juice. After a stiflingly slow start, the Mountaineers rallied to a 32-28 halftime lead over the Hoyas, but not before Georgetown landed a couple haymakers in the final seconds to pull closer.
NEW YORK -- The Bataan march of the Big East tournament might have people dizzied from five straight days of basketball, but West Virginia and Georgetown fans are seeing clearly, and Madison Square Garden has been crackling from pregame introductions onward.
The product has matched the juice. After a stiflingly slow start, the Mountaineers rallied to a 32-28 halftime lead over the Hoyas, but not before Georgetown landed a couple haymakers in the final seconds to pull closer.
West Virginia went six minutes without a field goal to start, but then
15-5 and 9-2 bursts vaulted them into the lead. Then as the half closed,
Georgetown's Chris Wright notched back-to-back three-point plays -- the
second off a gorgeous outlet bounce pass from 6-foot-10 Greg Monroe --
to inject some life into the Hoyas.
The teams are playing with near identical offensive efficiency -- 42.3 percent shooting and three turnovers for Georgetown, 43.3 percent and four turnovers for West Virginia -- and the stars are struggling as well. Monroe has five points and two rebounds, while the Mountaineers' Da'Sean Butler has seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.
The teams are playing with near identical offensive efficiency -- 42.3 percent shooting and three turnovers for Georgetown, 43.3 percent and four turnovers for West Virginia -- and the stars are struggling as well. Monroe has five points and two rebounds, while the Mountaineers' Da'Sean Butler has seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.
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