NEW YORK — Fuquan Edwin and Gene Teague know that their win over South Florida Tuesday night was ugly.
Real ugly.
Historically ugly.
But they don’t care.
“It was just a sluggish game from the start,” Edwin said after scoring 17 points and grabbing 6 rebounds to help will the No. 12 Pirates to a come-from-behind 46-42 OT victory over No. 13 South Florida in the first round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. “A win is a win.”
“I mean, a win is a win,” Teague echoed after putting up 14 points and 10 boards. “I’m proud that we won and I’m ready to play Syracuse tomorrow.” Despite tying a Big East record for fewest points scored in a tournament game, the embattled Pirates (15-17) lived to fight another day and will now get No. 5 Syracuse on Wednesday at 2:30. The Orange are playing in their last Big East Tournament before heading off to the ACC next season. For most of two halves, Seton Hall and South Florida put on a putrid display of basketball that had fans groaning and reporters joking. LIU-Brooklyn scored 91 points Tuesday night in their Northeast Conference championship win over Mount St. Mary’s and these two teams combined for 88 points — the second-fewest ever in a Big East Tournament game. In overtime. Seton Hall didn’t get to 30 points until Aaron Cosby scored two of his eight points on foul shots with 2:50 remaining. The Pirates trailed by eight, 37-29, with about three minutes remaining and appeared headed to a first-round exit. But the athletic Edwin took over in the final minutes, scoring six straight points on drives to close regulation, while Teague added a huge block on Anthony Collins with the game tied at 37 in the final seconds.