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Thursday, Mar. 9 9:00pm ET
Miami rematch next for Red Storm | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
NEW YORK (AP) -- Bootsy Thornton scored 21 points and third-seeded St. John's, which blew a 15-point second-half lead, scored the game's final six points for a 75-70 victory over Villanova on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. The Red Storm (22-7) advanced to Friday night's semifinals against second-seeded Miami (21-9), which beat Notre Dame 61-58 in the quarterfinals. That will be a rematch of last week's regular-season finale, won by Miami 74-70 in overtime, and of last season's semifinal, won 62-59 by St. John's. St. John's (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP), which had won nine of 10, appeared in control early, building a 41-26 halftime lead on 56 percent shooting (18-for-32). But the sixth-seeded Wildcats (19-12), who trailed 43-28 less than a minute into the second half, used a 13-2 run capped by consecutive 3-pointers by Gary Buchanan and Brian Lynch to get within 43-39 with 16:31 left. The Wildcats, who shot 58.6 percent in the second half (17-for-29), tied the game at 59-59 on a free throw by Brooks Sales with 6:58 left. They took their first lead of the game 66-64 on a jumper by Sales with 4:04 to play. Villanova was up 70-69 with 51 seconds left on two free throws by Buchanan, but those were its last points. Chudney Gray scored on a drive with 40 seconds left to give the Red Storm the lead for good and, after a missed jumper by Malik Allen of the Wildcats with 24 seconds left, Anthony Glover scored on a breakaway dunk with 16 seconds left. After Villanova turned the ball over as it scrambled to get off a tying 3-pointer, Erick Barkley was fouled with 4.8 seconds left and made two free throws for the final margin. Lavor Postell had 18 points for St. John's and Barkley had 11 points and 11 assists. Buchanan led the Wildcats with 19 points and seven assists and Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds. This will be St. John's third straight semifinal appearance. The Wildcats have not advanced past the quarterfinals since 1997. | ALSO SEE Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
AUDIO/VIDEO   Chudney Gray drives the lane giving the Red Storm the lead.avi: 994 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Anthony Glover drives the nail in the coffin on this breakaway dunk.avi: 836 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Brian Lynch keeps the Wildcats hopes alive.avi: 997 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | |||||