NCAA tournament: No. 2 West Virginia defeats No. 11 Washington, 69-56
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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 going to be the end for Big East Conference teams 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 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.
West Virginia heads into the weekend as the only Big East team left. The conference advanced only two teams to the Sweet 16 after earning eight NCAA bids.
The Mountaineers, champions of the Big East tournament, 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 Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter, but West Virginia quickly built the lead back to 10 after Kevin Jones’ put-back basket with 4:13 left.
Washington’s season ends at 26-10. The Huskies, who won the Pacific 10 Conference tournament title, had won nine straight games until Thursday’s loss.
West Virginia was playing Thursday’s East Regional semifinal game without starting point guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant, who is out with a broken foot.
To sort of even things up, Washington played a lot of the first half without leading scorer Pondexter, who played only seven first-half minutes because of foul trouble.
Pondexter was held scoreless in the first half and made his first basket with 17:30 left in the game.
It wasn’t a shock Washington got to halftime with a 29-27 lead.
The shock was Washington getting there with no points from its Pondexter, their 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.
Pondexter, though, picked up two fouls in the first six minutes and then, after he returned, his third on a charge with 4:27 left until halftime.
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 a game.
Pondexter was sent to the bench after picking up his second foul with 14 minutes left in the first half.
Jones led West Virginia with 18 points while Da’Sean Butler had 14. Holiday led Washington with 14 points.
-- Chris Dufresne, reporting from Syracuse, N.Y.
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