Final
No. 11 Pittsburgh opens Big East Tourney vs. Marquette
Mar 8, 2007 - 4:31 PM No. 19 Marquette (24-8) vs. No. 11 Pittsburgh (25-6) 9:00 pm ESTNEW YORK (Ticker) -- Despite consistent success in the Big East Conference Tournament, Pittsburgh has had a tendency to come up short with a title at stake.
The 11th-ranked Panthers try to shake off a pair of losses in their last three contests Thursday when they battle No. 19 Marquette in a quarterfinal showdown.
Pittsburgh is the only Big East school with six straight seasons of 20 wins and 10 conference victories. The Panthers have advanced to the championship game five times in those campaigns, but won only once in 2003 by defeating Connecticut.
Seeded third after a 12-4 mark against conference foes, Pittsburgh has limited 17 of its last 20 opponents to less than 70 points. The Panthers are led by center Aaron Gray, who was named to the first team All-Big East squad after averaging 14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds.
However, Pittsburgh has dropped both meetings against Marquette this season. After an overtime defeat on January 21, the Panthers suffered a 75-71 loss to the Golden Eagles on Sunday.
Gray scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Mike Cook added 13 points for Pittsburgh, which shot just 38 percent (25-of-66) from the floor and trailed by as many as 17 points.
The sixth-seeded Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals with Wednesday's 76-67 triumph over St. John's. Marquette won without sophomore guard Jerel McNeal, a second-team All-Big East selection, who has an injured thumb.
Dan Fitzgerald scored 20 points, Wesley Matthews had 15 and Lazar Hayward 14 for the Golden Eagles, who had a 41-28 rebounding edge.
The winner faces either West Virginia or Louisville.
- BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NCAA BB BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
FINAL 1ST 2ND TOTAL
--- --- -----
MARQUETTE (19) 37 42 79
PITTSBURGH (11) 40 49 89 FINAL
Mar 9 12:05 AM - BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NCAA BB MARQUETTE (19) 37
PITTSBURGH (11) 40 HALFTIME
Mar 8 10:50 PM
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