March 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Georgetown Hoyas forward Caleb Williams (4) reacts during the second half against the Villanova Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Julius Halaiponua had 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double as 11th-seeded Georgetown pulled away late in the second half to give 11th-seeded Georgetown a decisive 78-64 victory over third-seeded Villanova in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Hoyas (16-17) advanced to the semifinals for the first time since winning the surprise 2021 title as the No. 8 seed. Georgetown will face No. 2 seed and No. 6 UConn, which defeated Xavier 93-68 earlier in the day.
Jeremiah Williams added 14 points and Kayvaun Mulready also had 14, including eight straight points for the Hoyas when they surged to a double-digit lead late in the second half. Malik Mack had 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting, but hit a tying 3-pointer with 76 seconds left in the first half.
Villanova (24-8) failed to advance to the semifinals for the first time since winning the title in 2022, coach Jay Wright’s final season. Duke Brennan led the Wildcats with 14 points and six rebounds. Tyler Perkins added 13 points and Bryce Lindsey had 11, but star freshman Acaden Lewis and sixth man Devin Askew combined for 12 points on 5-of-21 shooting.
UConn 93, Xavier 68
Solo Ball had 19 points as the second-seeded Huskies led by double digits for most of the way and pulled off a wire-to-wire blowout of the 10th-seeded Musketeers in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.
The Huskies (28-4), who will face Georgetown in the semifinals, led by double digits until the final 28:35 and advanced to the semifinals for the sixth straight season since rejoining the Big East for the 2020-21 season. Taris Reed recorded his 10th double-double of the season, scoring 17 points and a season-high 14 rebounds.
Filip Borovicanin led Xavier with a career-high 22 points, but the Musketeers have lost their three meetings with UConn by a combined 80 points. Roddie Anderson III added 15 points and Tre Carroll was 2-of-12 shooting.
St. John’s 85, Providence 72
Zuby Ejiofor had 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as No. 13 St. John’s earned a win over Providence in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals in New York.
Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, made 9 of 14 shots and added three blocks, while three teammates (Oziyah Sellers, Bryce Hopkins and Ian Jackson) tallied 14 points. The top-seeded Red Storm (26-6) will face Seton Hall in the semifinals.
St. John’s outscored ninth-seeded Providence 51-30 on the glass, including 18-4 in offensive rebounds. Hopkins, a former Prior, had 13 rebounds, including six on offense.
Seton Hall 72, Creighton 61
Adam “Budd” Clark had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Jacob Dar had a huge second half to lead the fourth-seeded Pirates to a victory over the fifth-seeded Bluejays in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals in New York.
Dar did not play in the first half, but exploded with a season-high 16 points and 5 rebounds in 15 minutes of the second half. The Pirates (21-11) have kept their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive but must face top-seeded St. John’s in their first semifinal game Friday.
Creighton (15-17) finished below .500 for the first time since 2014-15 and will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Josh Diggs led all scorers with 22 points, Nick Graves had 15 points and five assists, and Austin Swartz added 10 points for the Blue Jays.
–Field level media
