Aaron Doster/Associated Press
One of the most storied programs in Big East conference history has a chance to end its league tournament title drought that dates back to 2007 on Saturday.
The Georgetown Hoyas, who are tied with the UConn Huskies for most Big East tournament titles in history, will enter Madison Square Garden as the underdog against the Creighton Bluejays.
Patrick Ewing’s team knocked off the Marquette Golden Eagles, Villanova Wildcats and Seton Hall Pirates in the last three days to move one win away from an unlikely NCAA men’s basketball tournament berth.
Creighton is in search of its first-ever Big East tournament title after it fell short in 2014 and 2017 against the Providence Friars and Villanova.
The Bluejays have been the more consistent team throughout the season, but Georgetown has been hot since the middle of February and could spring one of the most shocking upsets of Championship Week.
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Big East Tournament Championship Game Info
Date: Saturday, March 13
Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app
Preview
Georgetown comes into Saturday’s final with seven wins in its last nine games.
The loss that preceded that stretch featured an ugly 48-point performance against Creighton in the second of two games between the teams in a six-day span.
Georgetown shot 27.6 percent from the field in the 63-48 loss on February 9, but it still beat the Bluejays on the boards.
The Hoyas did the same thing on February 3, when they shot 50 percent from the field and knocked down 10 three-point shots in an 86-79 win in Omaha.
The No. 8 seed should find confidence from that victory to feel like it has a chance to pull off another win over the second-seeded team.
Additionally, Georgetown should be confident in its defense that held four of its last six opponents under 70 points. The Hoyas limited the Seton Hall Pirates to 58 on Friday.
The frontcourt duo of Qudus Wahab and Jamorko Pickett contained co-Big East Player of the Year Sandro Mamukelashvili to eight points and three made field goals. Pickett and Wahab combined for 29 points and 14 rebounds.
If the Hoyas gain an edge in the paint and on the glass, they could take Creighton out of an offensive rhythm, like the UConn Huskies did in the semifinal round.
Creighton shot 37.1 percent from the field and made just five of its 18 three-point shots in its lowest-scoring performance of the season.
If the Hoyas frustrate Marcus Zegarowski and Co., they could force the game into a low-scoring affair and win through the frontcourt.
Creighton is typically a more fast-paced team than it was on Friday, and that could be its biggest key to victory.
The Bluejays reached the 70-point mark in five of their seven wins since the start of February and they have five players that average over 10 points per game, led by Zegarowski.
Greg McDermott‘s team shoots 37.4 percent from three-point range and three of its top five scorers are better than 40 percent from deep.
If Zegarowski, Mitch Ballock and Damian Jefferson catch fire early, the Bluejays could cruise to a victory and end Georgetown’s late run to secure an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
If Creighton wins, it would save a space in the field of 68 for a handful of bubble teams, but a Georgetown win could make Selection Sunday more nervy for teams like the Syracuse Orange, Drake Bulldogs and the squads that do not capture the Mountain West tournament crown.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.