DePaul advances in controversial fashion to Big East tournament meeting with Xavier
Was it a block? Was it a goaltend?
The 10th-seeded DePaul Blue Demons stunned the No. 7 Seton Hall Pirates on Wednesday by rallying from a four-point deficit with 17 seconds left, advancing in the Big East tournament to a meeting Thursday with the second-seeded Xavier Musketeers.
A blocked shot at the buzzer by DePaul's Nick Ongenda initially was ruled a goaltend, which would have given the Pirates' Femi Odukale a game-winner. Officials met and reviewed it, and overturned the call, giving DePaul a 66-65 win at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
Social media reactions to a controversial finish, including video:
DEPAUL GETS THE BLOCK AND WINS! pic.twitter.com/U4GN1QuAu8
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 9, 2023
"I knew it was a block, I knew it."@Kristina_Pink catches up with @DePaulHoops' @itsnxo after their wild win over Seton Hall to advance to the Big East MBB Quarterfinals! 😤 pic.twitter.com/dexaEFo7kz
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 9, 2023
FOUND A WAY. pic.twitter.com/qC24aDdAI9
— DePaul Basketball (@DePaulHoops) March 9, 2023
After initially being ruled goaltending at the buzzer to give Seton Hall the win, DePaul wins after a review changed the call to a block.
March. pic.twitter.com/cTlHrVUZiJ— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 9, 2023
The final sequence between Seton Hall and DePaul: pic.twitter.com/Mdt88KiRf5
— Paul Fritschner (@PaulFritschner) March 9, 2023
Nick Ongenda had the game-winning block for @DePaulHoops! He joins us NOW:https://t.co/u8mvOkfNnh
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 9, 2023
Here’s a look inside DePaul’s locker room after the Blue Demons stunned Seton Hall at the Big East Tournament. Tony Stubblefield’s postgame message: pic.twitter.com/5RgrSLoafj
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 9, 2023
What a roller coaster of emotions. Seton Hall runs a SICK play with 3.9s left, DePaul is initially ruled with a goaltend at the buzzer to give Seton Hall the lead &win.
After review, it is overturned and ruled a blocked shot.
DePaul 66, Seton Hall 65 #BEtourney— Eugene Rapay (@erapay5) March 9, 2023
Shaheen Holloway: "It sucks. It sucks for the seniors and the guys with no eligibility left. Second half, we had control of the game, but then we couldn't make free throws. We work on this all the time. Just didn't execute down the stretch. It just sucks." #shbb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) March 9, 2023
Final | DePaul 66, Pirates 65#HALLin 🔵⚪️
— Seton Hall Men's Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) March 9, 2023
The Muskies will face the Blue Demons on Thursday at 7 p.m. The two teams split during the regular season. Xavier lost by one point at DePaul in January. XU won at Cintas Center in February, 82-68.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nick Ongenda block lifts DePaul to Big East tournament game vs. Xavier
