Markus Howard scored a game-high 42 points in Saturday's win at Georgetown.
MBB Minute -- High Scoring Performances, Plenty of Drama Filled Saturday's Action
Saturday’s BIG EAST action included some high scoring performances and lots of drama.
Marquette’s Markus Howard topped the scoring efforts with 42 points in an 84-80 win at Georgetown. Providence’s David Duke poured in 36 points at Creighton, though the Bluejays rallied late to take a 78-74 victory from the Friars.
All Seton Hall’s Myles Powell did, was score 29 points against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden and lead the Pirates back from a 13-point halftime deficit to an 82-79 win. In the process, Powell reached the 2,000-point mark in his career and the 1,000-point plateau in BIG EAST games.
DePaul streaked to an early big lead against fifth-ranked Butler, and beat the Bulldogs 79-66. The Blue Demons won their first BIG EAST game of the season. Paul Reed led the charge with 23 points and nine rebounds. Butler’s Kamar Baldwin had a team-high 16 points.
Villanova stepped outside the league to play Connecticut, which is returning to the BIG EAST next year. The Wildcats (14-3) overcame a second-half deficit to win 61-55. Reliable junior Jermaine Samuels scored 19 points to help VU win its 20th straight game on a home court.
For Howard, it was the seventh 40-point game of his career and the third this season. He leads the nation in scoring with a 28.2 mark and is averaging 31.7 points in BIG EAST games. At Creighton, Marcus Zegarowski did not start the game because of illness, but nailed a 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds to lift the Bluejays past Providence. Duke’s point total surpassed his previous career high by 14 points.
At MSG, Seton Hall’s Romaro Gill helped the Pirates with 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots. DePaul beat a top-five ranked opponent for the first time since a 64-57 win over No. 5 Kansas on Dec. 2, 2006.
Home teams are 17-11 (.607) in league games after Saturday.