Big East Tournament Live-Blog Session 3

Here we are at MSG for games five and six of the Big East tournament. The early session today features Dar Tucker and the Blue Demons of DePaul trying to win their second straight game after struggling through the Big East season winless. Providence will be looking to play their way into the dance. I wonder if Jonathon Xavier will be here today? The other game will be Marquette taking on the hometown Johnnies. I cannot wait to see Jerel McNeal play live.

Just like yesterday, we will not being using CoverItLive so follow the jump to see the live-blog. As always, if you have questions, comments, issues, or simply want to drop me a hello, send an email to ContactBIAH@gmail.com.

- It is over here at MSG. Marquette wins 74-45.
- We are under four minutes and the score is 72-37.

- Explain to me why McNeal and Hayward and Matthews are still on the floor. You are up almost 40 with five minutes left, and you are playing Villanova tomorrow, with two games in two days after that (if you continue to win). GET THEM OFF THE COURT!!
- And we have UConn chants breaking out in the crowd. They are louder than anything that has happened today. 63-27 Marquette with 8:13 left.

- Under 12 timeout, and it is 53-24 Marquette. The arena is starting to clear out. How bad is it right now? Marquette is starting to clear their bench ... with 11:13 left.

- Email from Big Treezy: is there a mercy rule like in the WBC? What are the chances they fire Roberts after the season?

I don't know. I think he has a good core group to build around right now. Kennedy, Horne, Burrell, and Evans are all sophomores and are all pretty talented. I like their PG Boothe as well. If Mason Jr is able to come back for an extra year of eligibility and they add Lance Stephenson as a freshman, is that not a tourney team? I think he deserves at least one more year, personally.

- It is incredible how poorly the Johnnies are shooting. Is missing contagious? 47-20 now, 13:16 left. SJU is shooting 24% from the floor.

- We have reached the under 16 timeout and Marquette is up 40-16. It looked for a bit like the Johnnies were getting ready to make a run at the Eagles, but for that to happen they cannot turn the ball over or foul as much as they are right now (already three fouls this half).

- Marquette heads into halftime up 38-10 and on a 23-2 run. It looks like game 2 of session 3 isn't going to be the most exciting.

- SJU finally scores, and the arena gets as loud as it as been in the three sessions. Justin Burrell breaks an X minute scoreless drought and a 16-0 Marquette run.

- We are at the under 4 time out, and Marquette is up 29-8. This is getting ugly. Marquette's defense has been unbelievable. Everything the Johnnies have tried to do has been contested. I'm not sure on the exact number, but I don't think SJU has scored in around eight minutes.

- Wesley Matthews is a bull going to the basket. He has been to the free throw line the last three possessions. Marquette has scored twelve straight and is up 27-8 as SJU misses yet another layup.

- SJU just cannot get anything to fall. They have 8 points with 5:00 left in the half, and they are a robust 13% from the floor.

- Marquette scored five in a row after the time out to take a 22-8 lead with 6:30 left. No one on the Eagles has more than 4 points.

- SJU has taken a timeout with 8:10 left in the half with the Eagles up 17-8.

- McNeal just picked up his second foul on a Horne jumper. Not a smart play.

- 11-4 Marquette. 11:38 left. Fairly boring game thus far. SJU can get nothing going offensively against the Eagle's defense. Marquette hasn't looked too good offensively themselves, but they have been able to get a couple lay-ups near the basket for their big guys.

One thing I have noticed is how much slower the games go when you have to wait for TV to be back. It is like an extra 30 seconds every commercial break.

- Paris Horne with the play of the day so far. The blocked what seemed like a wide open dunk attempt by Hayward from behind.

- 9-2 at the under 16 timeout. Burke is leading the Eagles with 4 points.

- Marquette is much more aggressive than SJU here at the start. Dwefensively, going to the glass, attacking the basket.

Also of note, Buzz Williams is going with very quick rotations - Acker and Hayward are already on the bench. His bench is very thin, and four games in four days will take a toll.

- And we are back as Marquette and SJU has tipped. Mo Acker
Opens the scoring with a 15 footer from the baseline.
- PC pulls out the win, and they will advance face Louivsille.

But not before Walker puts on a show. He has hit three straight threes.

83-74. PC wins. Sharaud Curry had 2 to lead PC, while Tucker had 30 and 8 boards and Walker added 31.

- Xavier with a Dagger. 1:00 left and he hits a three with a man in his face.

- DePaul could use Tucker hitting free throws. He is 1-2 the last four trips. 72-65 1:30 left.

- From Big Treezy: out of yesterday's winner, who has the best shot to run the table?

Notre Dame. No question. Regardless of their record we are talking about a team that has two legitimate stars in Gody and K-Mac. If those two get hot, it isn't out of the question to see them go through the BET.

- PC just scored nine straight points to take a 70-62 lead with 3:36 left in the game. It came in the form of three straight turnovers against the pressure.

- Tucker is a good enough athlete to be an NBA player, but I don't know if he makes good enough decisions. Case in point - up one with five minutes left he settled for a deep three off the dribble early in the shot clock. Not what Wainwright wanted.

- Xavier missed his first, but on the next possession he got a second straight wide open three from the corner. He hit the second, and PC has their first lead since very early in the half - 64-62.

- Again Efejuku gets into the paint, drawing a foul this time. Just so happens to be Tuckers fourth. 6:15 left, and DePaul is up 62-61.

- Efejuku can get to the rim anytime he wants too, but he isn't finishing today. As I type that he comes up with a loose ball and makes a tough lefty lay-in.

- Tucker got fouled going up to catch an oop, and hit both free throws. 59-55 with 8:32 left. And Keno Davis picked up a tech arguing an out of bounds call. Walker hit 1 of 2.

DePaul is just the better team right now. They are getting stops because PC is over penetrating and trying to force it. They have been much better against the press the last seven minutes.

- This game is really turning into a back and forth affair. DePaul has a 55-53 with 10:32 left. PC is starting to score more regularly, but, as he did yesterdat, Dar Tucker is turning into a one man fast break. He is now the game's high scorer with 22.

- Tucker hits another three, and now has 18. After a nifty Efejuku drive, Tucker answers with a lay-up beating the press. 53-48 with 12:13 left.

- Stula hits another three (this one was a good shot - off of a kick out from the post), but Tucker picks up his third foul on a Marshon Brooks three. But he only hit one. PC is 6-15 from the line.

- We are at the under 16 timeout, and it is tied at 45. Keys right now: DePaul needs to be aggressive going to the basket and getting it in the paint, whether via the drive or the post up. They are shooting too many threes right now.

For PC the key is to get into their press. DePaul has not been able to effectively handle a press these two days (save for the last 10 minutes of Cinci).

- Curry ties it at 43 with a three before a Tucker lay-up gives DePaul the lead back.

- Tucker needs to stop settling for three's. He has hit three, but he has to have taken at least 8 or 9. He is so good at getting to the rim and finishing in the lane. Why not drive?

- DePaul is completely worthless against the PC press. They just turned it over again in the backcourt. 41-36 DePaul with 17 left.
- Dar Tucker and Walker hit back to back threes as DePaul opens up a 39-35 lead.

- BIAH has its first DePaul fan. From Marsh: I am now officially on the DePaul bandwagon. I would love to see an 0-18 team riun the table in March.

- Email from Marsh: Chances DePaul wins?

About the same as yesterday, I guess. They were a banked in 25 footer away from going into the lead at halftime with their best big man on the bench with fouls. I'll tell you this - these DePaul kids certainly are playing like they believe they can win.

- Sharaud Curry banks in a three with about five seconds left to give PC the 32-31 lead going into the break. Curry finishes with 16 in the half to lead all scorers, while Walker and Tucker were stuck with 13 and 10 respectively.

- DePaul just brought in some lefty Mario Stula that didn't play yesterday. He hit back to back threes. 31-29 DePaul.

- 25-24 DePaul still. 3:00 left in the half.

- funniest moment of the tournament. Yesterday, at the under 4 timeout of each game, MSG brought a fan out to sing the freecreditreport.com song. Well, each time the crowd booed them mercilessly. So today? They had a crowd sing along and didn't bring anyone out.

- Providence has been completely ineffective in their half court, and as simplistic as it sounds, the key for PC is to score. When they score, they can get into their press, and their press has been very effective the last few minutes speeding up the Demons and getting them to turn the ball over.

- After Curry answers with a three, back-to-back turnovers lead to a layup and another Curry three. He has 11 to lead PC. 25-24.

- Walker hits another three. 25-16.

- After a Walker three, Tucker takes a charge on Efejuku to send us to the under 8 timeout with the Demons up 22-16. Walker and Tucker have 20 of the 22 points.

- After a pretty finish on a fast break lay_up, Koshwal fouled McDermott hard, picking up his second foul.

Even without the big guy on the floor, DePaul is owning the glass. They have switched to a man defense that switches screens, and it has been verý effective in flustering PC. They probably have five or six turnovers by now. 8:15 left, 19-16 DePaul.

- Dar Tucker has 10 early points for the Demons and Will Walker has 6. That is all DePaul's points.

- Marshon Brooks drives and finds Kale for a lay-up which brings us to the under 12 timeout at 14-13.
- DePaul forces a PC timeout after Dar Tucker hits another three and another PC turnover leads to a fast break lay-up. 14-11 DePaul with 13:00 left.

- Tucker hits a three and on the next possession hits a jumper and-1. He missed the FT, but a PC turnover leads to a Walker lay-up. 9-6.

- Dar Tucker hits a tough leaner off the glass to make it 4-2 as we head into the under 16 timeout. DePaul is playing a zone against Providence, a team that lives and dies with the three ball. Now I know there is a school of thought that it is easier to defend a three-point shooting team by going zone, but I think Providence is too good to try and zone. Geoff McDermott is a helluva a passer from the high post, and if PC can get him the ball there, they can get the Demons out of this zone.

- 2:30 in and we are still scoreless. Both teams have come out a little tight it looks like as they are missing shots they should be hitting. Efejuku ends that with a dunk. Kale with a bucket inside makes if 4-0.

- Be sure to check the Thursday Madness post for live updates on all the day's conference tourney action.

- There's the tip. And day two has begun.

- So DePaul comes out to 50 cent "In da Club". Must be the cd left over from last night they were in the Big East Tourney. ZINGGG.

- While there are only about 4,000 (guessing) here right now, just about everyone is wearing black Friar Fanatic t-shirts.

- We have ESPN here today, and if my eyes serve me right, it looks like folks at home are getting Len Elmore and Sean McDonough. Not bad, but BIAH will clearly have better commentary.