Seton Hall grinds out 46-42 overtime win over South Florida in Big East Tournament opener

To be sure, there is no shortage of people waxing nostalgic this week about all of the great Big East rivalries that will come to an end. It is just as clear that South Florida-Seton Hall is not one of them.

The schools have little in common and their meeting in the first game of this last old-line Big East Tournament was a sign that the conference has become unwieldy in its old age.

Still, it sure was intense. Seton Hall kept scrapping, despite being down by eight with three minutes left, in a low-scoring game reminiscent of the peach basket era. It forced overtime.

And it didn't stop. With three baskets by its best player, Fuquan Edwin, late in regulation and four more points by him in the extra period, the Pirates won, 46-42, Tuesday night.

"Coach asked in the huddle, 'Who wants to take the shot?' I said, 'I want to take it,' " said Edwin, who finished with a game-high 17 points. "I think that got my confidence going later in the game."

It was historic -- the Pirates tied a Big East Tournament record for fewest points by a winning team (Georgetown, 2003). It came against a methodical, perimeter South Florida team (12-19) that missed at the buzzer in regulation. Neither side attempted a free throw until there was 14:57 left in the second half.

It was a gritty effort and not a final one for Seton Hall (15-17), which has played mostly with a limited roster because of injuries. "We have been down 10, 15 late in the second half," coach Kevin Willard said. "These guys have battled all year."

They will get a chance to battle again Wednesday against Syracuse, one of the old guard that will be leaving after this tournament.

The Pirates could use a change in landscape. These have not been good days for them. Last week, they lost one of their best hopes for the foreseeable future when recruit Jerron Wilbut of Illinois was arrested in connection with a burglary. Then on Tuesday, the Pirates found out that their other top recruit, Aquille Carr of Baltimore, will not be coming next year, either. He decided instead to go overseas and start a pro career.

He made his intentions known early Tuesday by tweeting, "The money wont always be there gotta get it when u can."

Back to square one. That is the theme for Seton Hall, and the other originals who will start over again in a new Big East next season. But they will carry memories. Tuesday night's game was not pretty, but it was exciting. Typical Big East.

"In this conference, you're going to lose some games," Willard said, "you're going to struggle to score."

And you will remember even the forgettable games.