NEW YORK (AP) -Jerel McNeal scored 21 points and No. 25 Marquette held Seton Hall scoreless over the final five minutes of a 67-54 victory Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big East tournament.
The sixth-seeded Golden Eagles (23-8) will play third-seeded and 14th-ranked Notre Dame in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.
Both teams struggled offensively with Marquette shooting 34.4 percent (22-for-64), while Seton Hall shot 33.9 percent (20-for-59). The Pirates’ plan worked well for 35 minutes as they were within 57-54 before ending the game by coming up empty on their last 10 possessions. The Golden Eagles closed with a 10-0 run.
Jamar Nutter and Eugene Harvey both had 15 points for Seton Hall (17-15), which lost its fourth straight overall and third this season to Marquette. This was the Pirates’ fourth straight first-round loss in the Big East and they have lost five in a row at Madison Square Garden.
Big Sky
Portland State 67, Northern Arizona 51
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Deonte Huff scored 17 points to lead Portland State to its first trip to the NCAA tournament.
Kyle Coston added 14 points for PSU (23-9), which won its 14th straight Big Sky game, and Andre Murray had 13 points. Jeremiah Dominguez chipped in nine points and six assists.
Nate Geiser led Northern Arizona (21-11) with 13 points and Kyle Landry had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Lumberjacks.
Northeast Conference
Mount St. Mary’s 68, Sacred Heart 55
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) – Jean Cajou and Kelly Beidler each scored 15 points and Mount St. Mary’s earned a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999.
Jeremy Goode added 13 and Shawn Atupem had 12 for the fourth-seeded Mountaineers, who won the tournament for the third time, but the first under a coach other than Jim Phelan, who won 830 games in 49 years as Mount’s coach. Current coach Milan Brown was an assistant on the last championship team.
Mount St. Mary’s has won eight of its last nine, including a win over top-seed Robert Morris in the semifinals.
Brice Brooks had 18 points and Drew Shubik had 13 to lead Sacred Heart.
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