The Seton Hall Pirates needed a victory Tuesday to help solidify a NCAA Tournament at-large invite, and that's just what they received by routing the Providence Friars 79-44 in the first round of the 2012 Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Senior guard Jordan Theodore netted a team-best 13 points and set a new personal and Big East tourney record with 13 assists to help the No. 10-seeded Pirates advance to Wednesday's second round (7 p.m. ET on ESPN). Awaiting Seton Hall will be the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, who beat the Pirates 60-51 on Jan. 28. The Friars now finish their season 15-17 overall.
Senior forward Herb Pope tallied a team-best 16 points and collected six rebounds, while freshman forward Brandon Mobley netted a collegiate-best 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Overall, the Pirates went 8-for-16 from behind the 3-point arc and shot 56-percent from the floor.
The Friars were paced by freshman forward LaDontae Henton, who scored 14 and collected seven rebounds.
— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.