The way Rick Pitino coaches, the way New York kids play, they’re not afraid of anything or anybody. Star or scrub, opening tip or overtime, they’ll take the big shot and expect to make it. And that’s why Louisville won the first thriller of this year’s Big East tournament, an 82-71 double-OT victory over West Virginia.
The Cardinals survived West Virginia’s 18-0 second-half run, thanks to Rice grad Edgar Sosa’s coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer that forced overtime. They scored the first nine points of the second OT to win their seventh straight game and advance into tonight’s semifinal against Pitt or Marquette.
“Our guys are risk-takers. We weren’t afraid to fail. We took big shots. Guys had no fear of failure,” said Pitino, who once owned this building as Knicks coach but whose Cardinals (23-8) had lost nine straight here since 1984. “(Sosa) epitomizes what you’ve heard for 30 years about New York City point guards.
“He has no fear of anything, he’s going to play with emotion and passion and more than anything, it means he’s faced the best. He’s played at Rice under the worst conditions and for the best coaches; he’s been through it all. He’s very big at those moments, and wants those moments.”
And the freshman proved he could handle the moment, like Louisville.
Terrence Williams scored a game-high 21 and freshman Earl Clark of Rahway, N.J., had five of his 17 in the second OT. The Cards had led 44-27 before West Virginia scored 18 straight to take its first lead.
Darris Nichols’ layup with :04.3 in regulation put West Virginia ahead 58-56, but Sosa’s left-handed layup forced the first OT. Even after he joined guard Jerry Smith on the bench after fouling out in the second, WVU blinked first in a test of wills. The Cardinals scored the first nine points, Clark’s 3-pointer making the lead 75-66 with 1:24 left.
“This is big. I never hit a shot like this in my life. I’m just happy I could do it in my hometown. It was a good move and I made the layup. I couldn’t even imagine this,” said Sosa, one of four freshmen getting major minutes and improving fast enough to make Louisville a tough out in the Big Dance.
Frank Young had 19 points and Da’Sean Butler 17 for the Mountaineers (22-9). Just 52nd in the latest RPI, with an upset of UCLA the highlight of an otherwise soft schedule, West Virginia have to wait until Sunday to find out not where they’re dancing, but if.
OT Louisville 82 W. Virginia 71