Big East Championship Game 2017: Villanova vs. Creighton Schedule, Preview

The defending national champion Villanova Wildcats did not figure to have any problems on their way to the Big East Conference Tournament championship game.

Somebody forgot to tell feisty Seton Hall. The determined Pirates traded punches with the Wildcats for 40 minutes and had the lead in the tournament's semifinal game in the final seconds.

Villanova was not about to disappear in the clutch, as the Wildcats claimed a 55-53 victory when Josh Hart grabbed the offensive rebound off a missed shot by Kris Jenkins and hit the go-ahead shot and the ensuing free throw.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

"That's what Josh Hart does," said teammate Jalen Brunson after the game on the FS1 broadcast. "He wants the ball in the biggest situations and he does not back down."

Angel Delgado had a chance to win it for Seton Hall, but his last-second shot fell off the rim.

The Wildcats will meet the Creighton Blue Jays in the championship game Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on Fox.

Creighton defeated Xavier 75-72 in the other semifinal game as Marcus Foster hit the game-winning three-pointer with six seconds to go to give the Blue Jays a hard-fought win.

Villanova is expected to land one of the four No. 1 seeds in the upcoming NCAA tournament, but they had all they could handle from the Pirates. Seton Hall used its strength on the inside and strong defensive play to keep the Wildcats from playing their best basketball throughout the game.

Hart led the Wildcats with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He made six of 13 shots from the field and two of five from beyond the arc. Brunson was his only teammate in double figures, as he scored 13 points and made six of 12 shots from the floor.

"Jalen and Josh just individually made great plays," Wright said (h/t Bob Ford of Philly.com). "The plays Jalen made, we ran plays. They didn't work. Seton Hall defended them, and then Jay (Hart) went and made an individual play."

Desi Rodriguez had a solid game for the Pirates and nearly led them to the upset. Rodriguez scored 14 points and had a team-high six rebounds. Guards Khadeen Carrington and Myles Powell each had 11 points for Seton Hall.

If the Wildcats are going to pick up the conference tournament title, Wright will need the defending national champions to have a better shooting night than they did against Seton Hall.

Villanova connected on 41.7 percent of its shots from the field, as the Seton Hall defense was able to pressure the Wildcat shooters throughout. Villanova's defense was sharp, as the Pirates were held to 40.7 percent shooting from the field.

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott said he did not take a time out in the final possession because his team knows how to react when the game is on the line.

"He's (Foster) been our best player," McDermott said after the game on the FS1 broadcast. "I liked our chances when he has the ball in his hands."

Justin Patton led the Blue Jays with 21 points, while Xavier was led by guard J.P. Macura, who knocked down six shots from beyond the arc and scored 22 points.

Villanova certainly has the confidence to win the championship game, and it would be a nice achievement for the defending national champions. Unless Creighton can play lockdown defense, it would seem Wright's team has the edge and should be able to go into the NCAA tournament with the Big East crown safely tucked away.

Villanova beat Creighton twice in the regular season, winning both games by double-digits.