No. 7 West Virginia survives Notre Dame

Posted March 12, 2010 10:00 pm

NEW YORK -- Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia's last-second hero in the quarterfinals, scored 24 points to lead the seventh-ranked Mountaineers to a 53-51 victory over Notre Dame on Friday night in the Big East tournament semifinals.

Third-seeded West Virginia (26-6) will face eighth-seeded Georgetown in the championship game Saturday night. The Mountaineers are looking for their first title; the Hoyas a record eighth.

Butler banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer Thursday for a 54-51 victory over Cincinnati.

The Fighting Irish (23-11) had the chance to win it Friday. Tory Jackson missed a 3 with 4 seconds left. Notre Dame's Tyrone Nash came up with the rebound, but Wellington Smith stripped it from him just as the buzzer sounded.

The Mountaineers have won five straight and seven of eight.

Ben Hansbrough had 17 points for the Fighting Irish, who had won six straight.

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