In a game marked by the familiar physicality of Big East basketball, everything came down to the flimsiest of calls in West Virginia’s 70-68 loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.
West Virginia’s Derek Culver was called for a foul with 5 seconds left, allowing the Red Storm’s Rasheed Dunn to head to the line for a pair of free throws that provided the winning margin.
St. John’s finished the game 22 of 27 (81 percent) from the free-throw line. The Red Storm came in shooting just 65 percent from the charity stripe.
Dunn was already slipping on MSG’s slick floor — the world’s most famous arena is also shared by the NHL’s New York Rangers — when Culver hit Dunn’s face with the back of his hand.