Men's Basketball Set to Begin BIG EAST Tournament
March 14, 2013 | Men's Basketball
March 14, 2013
| No. 4 Louisville vs. Villanova |
| Date: Thursday, March 14 |
| Time: 7 p.m. |
| Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. |
| BIG EAST Notes: Louisville | Villanova |
| TV: ESPN (WatchESPN) / Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), Jay Bilas (analyst) |
| Radio: WKRD 790 AM | Listen Here |
NEW YORK - The University of Louisville men's basketball team will be making its eighth appearance in what will be the final BIG EAST Tournament in conference history.
With Villanova's win over St. John's on Wednesday night, the second-seeded Cardinals will play the No. 7-seed Wildcats in the quarterfinals on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Madison Square Garden.
ESPN will televise the game, as Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), and Jay Bilas (analyst) call the contest. Fans also can hear the broadcast on WKRD 790 AM, with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Doug Ormay announcing the action.
No. 4 Louisville (26-5, 15-1 BIG EAST) last played on Saturday, posting a 73-57 victory over then-No. 24 ranked Notre Dame and capturing a share of the BIG EAST regular-season title. The Cardinals shot 51 percent from the floor, which included a 66-percent stint in the first half, while limiting the Fighting Irish to just a 39.3 percent clip from the field. Louisville also had a solid performance at the free-throw line, hitting 15 of their 19 attempts.
Prior to the game, Louisville honored seniors Peyton Siva and Mike Marra and Gorgui Dieng, and it was Dieng and Siva who stood out during the game. Dieng scored a game-high 20 points, while grabbing a game-best 11 rebounds in the win, and Siva had 13 points, five assists and four rebounds. Luke Hancock scored 10 of the bench's 20 points, as he went 2-of-4 from 3-point range and also had five rebounds. Garrick Sherman, who finished with 14 points, was Notre Dame's top scorer.
Statistically, the Cardinals rank No. 2 nationally in steals per game (10.7), No. 3 in turnover margin (+6.0), fourth in scoring margin (+15.5), No. 17 in scoring defense (58.0), and 23rd in field goal percentage defense (38.8).
Villanova (20-12, 10-8) advanced past the Red Storm, 66-53, courtesy of three double-digit point performances. The two teams were tied at 24 at the half, but Villanova outscored St. John's, 42-29, in the final period. One of the major differences in the game came at the charity stripe, as Villanova went 19 of 23 at the line, and St. John's was just 9 of 14.
Mouphtaou Yarou led all scorers with 18 points in the win, Ryan Arcidiacono scored 15, and JayVaughn Pinkston added 12 points and nine rebounds. St. John's, which shot just 35.6 percent for the game, was led by Phil Greene's 16 points.
The Wildcats are under the direction of 12th-year head coach Jay Wright, who's directed the program to seven NCAA appearances. Currently, Pinkston leads the team with 12.9 points per game, while Yarou is averaging a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game.
The two programs met once earlier this season, and Villanova won the contest, 73-64. Five Wildcats scored in double figures, and the team went 22-of-29, including 18-of-22 in the second period, from the free-throw line. Louisville struggled from the field, hitting just 39.7 percent of its shots, and from the free-throw line, converting just 12 of its 24 opportunities.
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Villanova
Date: Thursday, March 14
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
Television: ESPN will televise the game, as Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), and Jay Bilas (analyst) call the contest.
Radio: Fans can listen to the game on WKRD 790 AM, with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Doug Ormay (analyst) announcing the action.
Series History: The all-time series is tied, 9-9 (3-2 in Louisville, 2-6 at Villanova, 4-1 neutral).
