Thursday’s schedule shows three BIG EAST teams hosting non-conference opponents, all on national television.
Rutgers battles No. 10/10 Florida on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. followed by Vanderbilt at Marquette. At 9 p.m., ESPNU has Cincinnati hosting Oklahoma at US Bank Arena.
Georgetown and Connecticut improved their records to 11-1 with BIG EAST road victories Wednesday night.
The Hoyas lost an 11-point lead in the second half at Louisville, but still prevailed 71-68. Sophomore guard Markel Starks scored a career-high 20 points and freshman forward Otto Porter contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds. The loss was Louisville’s first of the season.
UConn managed to hold off USF 60-57 in Tampa. The Huskies used a late 11-1 run to secure the victory. Jeremy Lamb scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half.
West Virginia and Villanova were tied 63-63 with 5:45 remaining in Morgantown before the Mountaineers pulled away on the strength of Darryl “Truck” Bryant’s career-high 34 points.
No. 1 Syracuse’s 75-49 win over Seton Hall was surprising by the margin of the victory. The Pirates had won eight in a row. Center Fab Melo was a huge factor in the paint, setting a school record with 10 blocked shots.
