Big East Tournament 2012 Championship: Louisville, Cincinnati Battle For Title

Louisville Vs. Notre Dame Final Score: Cardinals Upset Irish, 64-50, For Spot In Title Game

The No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish won't be playing for a Big East Tournament title on Saturday afternoon. They were unable to fully overcome their first half woe and lost to the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, 64-50.

After ending the first half on the wrong side of a 26-4 run, the Irish improved for 19 first-half points to 31 in the second. Eric Atkins finished the game with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Jack Cooley put up a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Peyton Siva dominated the game from start to finish for the Cardinals, almost picking up a triple-double: 13 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds. Gorgui Dieng led the Cardinals with 16 points and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field.

While the Cardinals will face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the championship game on Saturday, the Irish will feverishly wait until Sunday to find out their seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Louisville Vs. Notre Dame: Irish Struggle In First Half, Down At Halftime, 35-19

There's another upset brewing in the 2012 Big East Tournament. The No.1 Syracuse Orange lost to Cincinnati in the previous game, and in the late one the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are losing at halftime to the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, 35-19. The Cardinals went on a 26-4 run to end the first half while the Irish failed to make a bucket over the last 12:44 of the frame.

As expected by now, Louisville's Peyton Siva is the star of this game. He has scored 11 points, pulled down seven boards and dished out the ball for five assists. Gorgui Dieng has put in 10 points and grabbed four boards.

Notre Dame is shooting 24.1 percent from the field (7-of-29), including 1-of-11 from beyond the arc. Jack Cooley leads the team with five points and seven assists.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012 Semifinals: Louisville Vs. Notre Dame Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish survived a close call last night in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, surviving against South Florida 57-53 in overtime. Next up for the Irish is a date with Louisville, who upset No. 9 Marquette -- a team many picked to win the conference tournament -- yesterday at Madison Square Garden.

The Irish have met Louisville just once this season, and it was an instant classic. On Jan. 7, Notre Dame defeated the Cardinals 67-65 in two overtimes.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 9, 8:00 p.m.

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York

TV: ESPN

Here's a look at the full bracket in the Big East Tournament:

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Day 4

The 2012 Big East Tournament has finally reached the semifinals after slogging through three days of games since Tuesday. Three of the top four seeds will be in the semifinals -- the exception being the No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles. The No. 7 Louisville Cardinals upset Marquette on Thursday night, 84-71.

The No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish needed overtime to defeat the South Florida Bulls, 57-53. Notre Dame hit three free throws over the final 38 seconds of regulation to tie the game at 45 while the Bulls missed a couple of shots from the field and free throws. Overtime was just as daunting as those final seconds of regulation, but the Bulls failed to do anything positive after Toarlyn Fitzpatrick's three-pointer made it a 54-53 game.

Click here for the bracket, and below is the Day 4 schedule for the 2012 Big East Tournament (all times Eastern):

No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 4 Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Louisville, 9:00 p.m., ESPN

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

USF Vs. Notre Dame Final Score: Fighting Irish Avoid Upset In 57-53 OT Win

It was an extremely tight, defensive-minded battle, but the No. 23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish toughed out a 57-53 victory in overtime against the South Florida Bulls in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference Tournament. Neither team ever really pulled away in the game, but Notre Dame was able to make enough key stops down the stretch in overtime to avoid the upset.

Overall, both teams really struggled offensively on Thursday. Notre Dame shot just 39 percent from the field, but USF was even worse by shooting 38 percent. Long range was one area where both teams thrived, though, as they were each at or near 50 percent shooting from three-point range despite the short-range struggles.

Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton led Notre Dame with 12 points apiece, while Scott Martin had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Victor Rudd Jr. led USF with 16 points. Anthony Collins was also active for the Bulls with 13 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds.

The win bumps Notre Dame to 22-10 overall this season and 14-5 against Big East opponents. The Fighting Irish will be moving on to the tournament semifinals, where they'll face Louisville, which upset Marquette on Thursday.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

USF Vs. Notre Dame Score Update: Irish Lead 28-26 At Halftime

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were trailing big early, but they now lead 28-26 going into halftime against the South Florida Bulls in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference Tournament. Notre Dame received a two byes to get here, but South Florida had to beat Villanova in the second round.

The Bulls burst out of the gates on Thursday night, taking a 20-8 in the first eight minutes of the game. The Fighting Irish essentially matched that with a 20-6 outburst over the remainder of the half, using some quality defense to make the big run. Notre Dame shot 50 percent in the half while South Florida shot 44 percent.

Scott Martin and Jerian Grant lead Notre Dame with ten points apiece. Anthony Collins has been impressive for USF, scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in addition to having three assists, two steals and one rebound.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

VIDEO: Big East Tournament 2012 Bracket Breakdown With Nick Fasulo

SB Nation's Nick Fasulo of college hoops blog Searching For Billy Edelin joined Dan Rubenstein today to discuss the Big East Tournament. Turns out neither finds much appealing about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who tip-off against South Florida later today in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

Here's what Fasulo had to say about the Fighting Irish:

The way they play is sort of a feast-or-famine type thing. They rely on the three-point shot even though they aren't great three-point shooters. So when they play teams that are bigger and can maybe have a power forward matchup with someone out on the perimeter, they're screwed. They can't play a team with a ton of length.

Check out the entire video here, and be sure to subscribe to SB Nation's YouTube channel.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012: Notre Dame Vs. USF Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 Big East Tournament moves through the quarterfinal round in Day 3, and the final matchup of the day features the No. 3 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the No. 6 seed South Florida Bulls. The Irish have been waiting patiently thanks to their premium seed, while the Bulls knocked off No. 14-seed Villanova 56-47 on Wednesday.

In the only head-to-head matchup this season, the Irish pulled off a relatively comfortable 60-49 win at home, thanks to 15 points and added 13 rebounds from Scott Martin and 16 more from Jack Cooley. They shot 48 percent from the floor while South Florida only managed 1-13 accuracy behind the three-point line, so if the Bulls get hot behind the arc the rematch might get a bit more exciting.

Here is a look some information to help you find the game on Thursday night:

No. 6 South Florida Bulls (20-12, 12-6 Big East) vs. No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-10, 13-5 Big East)

Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 8th, Approx. 8:00 P.M. CST

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York

TV: ESPN

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. Notre Dame Fighting Irish news and analysis is available at One Foot Down. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. Also be sure to check out SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012: Updated Bracket And Schedule For Day 3

The 2012 Big East Tournament moves into the quarterfinal round on Thursday, and the top four seeds -- the Syracuse Orange, Marquette Golden Eagles, Cincinnati Bearcats and Notre Dame Fighting Irish -- are ready to join the action. In the previous round, UConn knocked off West Virginia in an overtime upset, while Georgetown held seed against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Louisville and South Florida also managed to avoid upsets, so the quarterfinal round features plenty of premium matchups.

Here is the schedule for the quarterfinal round of the 2012 Big East Tournament and an updated look at the bracket:

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals

11:00 a.m. CT : No. 9 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 1 Syracuse Orange - ESPN
1:00 p.m. CT: No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas vs. No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats - ESPN
6:00 p.m. CT : No. 7 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles - ESPN
8:00 p.m. CT : No. 6 South Florida Bulls vs. No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - ESPN

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Day 2

The Big East Tournament continues today at Madison Square Garden with four games on tap. The marquee matchup of the round could be the first game of the day, pitting the ninth seeded UConn Huskies against the Western Virginia Mountaineers. The Huskies, led by Aurora native Ryan Boatright, defeated DePaul on Tuesday to end the Blue Demons' season.

Also of note locally: Seton Hall will take on Louisville, a team which features a Chicago native in freshman Wayne Blackshear. Blackshear was thought to miss the entire season after he tore his labrum in November, but the small forward worked his way back into action and played 13 minutes in the Cardinals' loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (5) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (10) Seton Hall Pirates vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Here's the bracket:

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012: Connecticut, Pittsburgh Advance In Tuesday's Afternoon Session

The 2012 Big East Tournament got underway with first round action on Tuesday afternoon, as DePaul faced off against Connecticut and Pittsburgh met St. John's.

Related: DePaul Vs. Connecticut Final Score: Blue Demons Struggle Against Huskies, Lose 67-81

The Blue Demons had trouble keeping up with UConn in the first half of that game and fell behind by 13 points at halftime; that proved too much for them to overcome, and UConn took a relatively easy 81-67 win. Jeremy Lamb led the Huskies with 25 points.

In the second game, Pittsburgh took care of St. Johns, 73-59. The year has been uncharacteristically tough for the Panthers and they'll have to win the tournament in order to earn an NCAA bid, but for now the dream is alive. Ashton Gibbs led Pitt with 20 points.

Connecticut will play West Virginia on Wednesday, while Pittsburgh gets Georgetown.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

DePaul Vs. Connecticut Final Score: Blue Demons Struggle Against Huskies, Lose 67-81

The DePaul Blue Demons (12-18 Big East) fell down early to the Connecticut Huskies (18-12) and could not dig themselves out, falling 67-81.

The story of the Huskies' game revolved around dominant defense from C Andre Drummond (5 reb, 4 blk) and C-F Alex Oriakhi (7 reb, 4 blk) and explosive shooting from G Ryan Boatright (19 pts, 7 ast) and Jeremy Lamb (25 pts, 4 ast). Altogether, the Huskies out-rebounded the Blue Demons 36 to 29 and had a combined 10 blocks to DePaul's 3. Offensively, the Blue Demons were out-shot from both the suburbs (.534 versus .324 on two-point field goals) and downtown (.615 versus .364 on three-point attempts).

The Blue Demons did perform well on free throws (.867 or 13 for 15) and got big scores from a pair of sophomores -- F Cleveland Melvin (19 pts, 9 reb) and F Moses Morgan (19 pts, 2 ast) -- but could not find a enough of a rhythm against the Huskies. Sophomore G Brandon Young, who averaged 14.8 points per game during the season, landed only one field goal and four free throws for a combined 6 points on the day.

After Tuesday's first round, the Big East Championship continues on Wednesday with the Connecticut Huskies facies the No. 8-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012, Connecticut Vs. DePaul Score Update: Huskies Lead 46-33 At The Half

The Connecticut Huskies lead the DePaul Blue Demons 46-33 in the first round of the 2012 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Demons have struggled on offense, shooting just 28.6 percent from the field, while the Huskies managed to hit 54.6 percent of their shots in the first 20 minutes. Cleveland Melvin is just 3-10 with seven points for DePaul, and Worrel Clahar lead the team with eight points, while Jeremy Lamb has a game-high 17 points on 7-11 shooting and 3-4 from beyond the arc.

The winner of this game will meet No. 8 seed West Virginia in the second round, and then top-seeded Syracuse would be looming at the quarterfinal stage. The rest of the action in this contest can be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN3.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012 Bracket And Schedule For Day 1

The 2012 Big East Tournament officially begins with first round action on Tuesday, and the DePaul Blue Demons kick off the action in a showdown against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Other opening day games include matchups between the No. 13 Pittsburgh Panthers and No. 12 St. John's Red Storm, the No. 15 Providence Friars and No. 10 Seton Hall Pirates and the No. 14 Villanova Wildcats against the No. 11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

The top-seeded Syracuse Orange and No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles are the favorites to meet in the championship game, and they have byes until the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Here is the complete tournament schedule for the first round and the entire tournament:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

11 a.m. CT / ESPN2, ESPN3D: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies
1 p.m. CT/ ESPN2, ESPN3D: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) St. John's Red Storm
6 p.m. / ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Seton Hall Pirates
8 p.m. / ESPNU, ESPN3D: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Below is a printable bracket.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

You can get a preview on each team by clicking on the following links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville,West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova,Providence, DePaul.

Big East Tournament 2012 Bracket, TV Schedule And More: Notre Dame Earns No. 3 Seed, Double Bye

By virtue of having the third-best in-conference record in the Big East, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish won't have to play until the quarterfinals of this year's conference tournament. With the possibility of getting an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and an improved seed through the process, the Irish likely have their eyes on the title.

After struggling through their non-conference schedule, the Fighting Irish found their stride against Big East foes. After going just 8-5 to begin the season, Notre Dame would go 13-5 in the conference schedule. Only Syracuse, 17-1 in conference and the No. 2 team in the nation, and Marquette, 14-4 in conference and No. 7 in the nation, have been better.

And it's worth noting that both Syracuse and Marquette lost to Notre Dame when the teams met earlier this season, so the Irish have experience with toughing out victories against the conference's elite teams.

Rutgers and Villanova face off in the first round on Tuesday. The winner of that game will play South Florida, which received a bye out of the first round, in the second round of the tournament. That winner will play the Irish on Thursday.

Date: Thursday, March 8, 2012

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Game Time: 9:00 p.m. ET

TV Schedule: ESPN

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012 Bracket, TV Schedule And More: DePaul Faces UConn On Tuesday

After finishing the regular season with the worst record in the Big East, the DePaul Blue Demons will face the ninth-seeded Connecticut Huskies on Tuesday in the first round of the Big East Conference Tournament.