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Not a good night(s) for the SEC

Published December 7, 2007 10:37 am SEC Closed

Scdowney
The inaugural SEC-Big East Basketball Invitational took place Wednesday and Thursday and it was not exactly a springboard for the SEC.

First, Alabama played well against highly-ranked Georgetown, only to fall apart over the final couple of minutes and lose 70-60 in the first game of a doubleheader in Birmingham on Wednesday. Then West Virginia blew out Auburn 88-59 in the second game. The Mountaineers had Auburn down 28-6 to open the game, and 80-43 in the second half before Bob Huggins’ magnanimously emptied his bench.

Last night in Philadelphia, South Carolina controlled the game against Providence, but nearly lost at the end. The Gamecocks fouled Providence’s Weyinmi Efejuku with 0.2 seconds left, but the Friar made just one of two free throws and the Gamecocks escaped with the 68-67 win.

Then in the nightcap, LSU blew a 21-point lead in the final eight minutes and lost 68-67. The Tigers were up 54-33 before the Wildcats rallied at the Wachovia Center.

This was the first of an annual series that is scheduled for the next four years. The games will be played on back-to-back nights, doubleheaders at neutral site. To me, anyway, it’s a long way from the ACC-Big Ten challenge or the new Pac 10-Big 12 Hardwood Shootout, or whatever its called. Those games are played on college sites. There were a ton of empty seats both Wednesday night in Birmingham and Thursday night in Philadelphia. Perhaps the matchups and sites will be better in the future, but I doubt that this first round of the SEC-Big East Invitational did much good for the reputations of either league.

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