By DENNIS CHAMBERS
NEW YORK — Against Villanova this time around, the ball didn’t bounce off the rim the way Seton Hall wanted it to.
Last season with 18 seconds left in Big East Tournament final, Isaiah Whitehead got his shot to tap the back of the rim before going in. His shot tied the game at 67, his following foul shot gave the Pirates a 68-67 lead that they ultimately held on to for the victory.
But this year, down 55-53 with the final possession the rim wasn’t so kind to the Pirates. Angel Delgado had a clear layup opportunity with three seconds remaining that didn’t find its way to the bottom of the net. As a result, Villanova got their revenge victory at Madison Square Garden over Seton Hall Friday night.
“I just missed it,” Delgado said about the blown opportunity. “Can’t really tell you nothing right now, I just missed. Something that never happened in my life. That’s the first time, and I gotta live with it.”