WATCH: DePaul advances in Big East Tournament after crucial review, wild finish vs. Seton Hall
DePaul hasn’t had much luck in recent years, and it looked like the Blue Demons were going to fall on the wrong end of a play once again. This time, though, it went their way — and they’re advancing in the Big East Tournament as a result.
With 17 seconds left, it looked like Seton Hall was in the driver’s seat. The Pirates had a 65-61 lead and appeared ready to get the victory in the tournament opener at Madison Square Garden. Then, Jalen Terry made a layup to cut the lead to 65-63. DePaul coach Tony Stubblefield called a timeout, and Umoja Gibson hit all three three-pointers after Terry stole the ensuing inbound and K.C. Ndefo fouled him. That made it a 66-65 DePaul lead with three seconds left.
Seton Hall ran a baseball pass on the ensuing possession, and Femi Odukale’s shot got blocked by Nick Ongenda. Officials initially called a goaltending, which would’ve given the Pirates the victory, but reversed the call upon review. DePaul survived — and Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway fell short in his first Big East tournament.
Javan Johnson led all scorers with 19 points for DePaul, followed by 15 points from Ongenda and 14 from Terry. Gibson — the Oklahoma transfer — had 10, including those final three points that wound up winning the game.
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DePaul entered the tournament as the No. 10 seed with a 9-22 overall record, including a 3-17 mark in conference play in Stubblefield’s second year at the helm. Seton Hall, meanwhile, was the No. 7 seed at 17-14 overall and 10-10 in Big East action.
With the victory, though, DePaul advances to the quarterfinal round of the tournament. That means the Blue Demons get a rematch with Xavier, who they beat 73-72 earlier this season at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The matchup tips off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden.