Big East Tournament 2018: Semifinals Scores, Championship Bracket and Schedule

The 2018 Big East men's basketball tournament kept on rolling as Madison Square Garden played host to the semifinals on Friday night.  

Villanova and Xavier—ranked Nos. 2 and 3 in the nation, respectively—entered the night with their sights set on a third heavyweight showdown, but it was not meant to be. 

Check out the scores and schedule, which will be updated as the action unfolds, as well as a recap of Friday night's games. 

March 9 Results

Game 7: (5) Providence 75, (1) Xavier 72 (OT)

Game 8: (2) Villanova 87, (6) Butler 68

March 10 Schedule

Game 9: (5) Providence vs. (2) Butler — 6:30 p.m. ET

Villanova 87, Butler 68

Following the excitement of the first semifinal game, there was no drama in Villanova's 87-68 win over Butler at Madison Square Garden. 

Villanova started the game on a 19-0 run in the first five minutes. The Wildcats never relented and left their Big East rivals in the dust, setting up a showdown against Providence on Saturday as they look to win their third conference tournament title in four years. 

The starters for Villanova head coach Jay Wright did the vast majority of the work. They combined for 73 of the team's 87 points, with each of them scoring at least 12 and making at least two three-point field goals. 

The Wildcats also had a 12-3 edge in offensive rebounds, including seven from Omari Spellman.  

Thanks to Xavier's loss to Providence in the first semifinal, a win by Villanova in Saturday's title game will likely ensure it as one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. 

Providence 75, Xavier 72 (OT)

The Xavier Musketeers were looking to solidify their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but now they've left it up to the committee to decide their fate.

Xavier controlled the first half, looking like a team trying to make a statement. The top seed in the Big East came out ready to play, with Paul Scruggs and Kerem Kanter combining to go 8-of-9 from the floor for 23 points. That combined with a 24-16 edge in rebounding gave Xavier a 43-29 lead entering the break.

However, Providence did not go away. The Friars slowly chipped away at the Musketeers' lead coming out of the break, ultimately tying the score at 64-all with just under four minutes to play after trailing by as many as 17.

Shooting 64 percent for 16 minutes can really change a game. The rally was a team effort for the Friars, as four different players were in double-figures.

Forty minutes was not enough to decide this one, even with a wild end to regulation.

It was in overtime that the Friars grabbed their first lead since the opening minutes of the game:

Xavier senior Trevon Bluiett endured a tough game, shooting just 2-of-14 from the floor despite scoring 13 points. He did, however, manage to drop a defender ahead of one of his baskets:

The semifinals upset of Xavier marked the second consecutive overtime victory for Providence, who used an extra session on Thursday to pull out a 72-68 victory over Creighton.

Now, Providence awaits the winner of Villanova-Butler in the Big East championship game as Xavier must wait to learn its seed in the NCAA tournament.