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14 March 2010
NEW YORK – The Butler did it one more time. Da’Sean Butler’s running jumper with four seconds left lifted sixth-ranked West Virginia to a 60-58 victory over Georgetown to capture the 2010 Big East basketball championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Butler, who scored 20 points on 7 of 19 shooting, was named tournament most valuable player immediately after the game. This was West Virginia’s first conference tournament victory since claiming the Atlantic 10 championship on its home floor in 1984.
"We ran the same play that we set up for the Cincinnati game," Butler said of his game winning shot. "I waited for Casey (Mitchell) to come off. They kind of overplayed one side and went the other way.
"I came to the top of the key and I had to come get the ball and they kind of switched. I think Monroe was on me and I think he had a feeling I was going to shoot a 3. I had a little hesitation, went around him, Freeman stepped up, and had a little hop step and scooped a layup off the glass."
It seemed the Mountaineers were almost destined to win their first Big East title with an all-New York City starting lineup of Butler, Wellington Smith, Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks and Truck Bryant. Including reserve forward Danny Jennings, West Virginia has six players on its roster from the New York City metropolitan area.
Smith, another New Yorker, played a fantastic first half, scoring 9 of his tournament-best 11 points while grabbing a team-best 10 rebounds.
As it has done all year, West Virginia (27-6) won this game with great defense, tough rebounding and the clutch playmaking of Butler, who joined Mr. Clutch himself, Jerry West, and Hot Rod Hundley in the school’s prestigious 2,000-point club.
Butler’s 2,000th point came late in the first half when his three-point play put the Mountaineers up 24-20.
