NEW YORK (AP) – Matt Stainbrook had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Xavier finally hit the free throws it needed to hold off a furious rally by No. 23 Georgetown and secure a 65-63 victory Friday night in the Big East Tournament semifinals.
After struggling at the foul line while the second-seeded Hoyas (21-10) whittled a 21-point deficit to one, the Musketeers made five of six in the final 10.3 seconds to hold on. Trevon Bluiett drained a big 3-pointer for the second consecutive night, and Xavier advanced to the championship game in just its second season in the conference.
The sixth-seeded Musketeers (21-12) will play fourth-ranked and top-seeded Villanova for the crown Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Xavier led by 20 with 7:53 remaining when a scrum under the basket led to a technical foul on Musketeers forward Jalen Reynolds, who feigned winding up for a punch as he showed coach Chris Mack what he had done when he returned to the huddle.
That helped the Hoyas get started on a 15-1 run as Xavier, the top free throw-shooting team in the Big East, missed six of seven from the line.