Villanova wins Big East title; Mcdermott coaches under fire

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Justin Moore scored 24 points and helped No. 10 Villanova capture the Big East title with a 72-60 win over a No. 14 Creighton team playing with coach Greg Mcdermott under fire for using language evocative of slaver y.

Mcdermott, who had apologized for urging his players to “stay on the plantation” in a postgame locker room talk following a loss over the weekend, said on Creighton’s pregame radio show that he offered to resign. Mcdermott said had a long meeting with players on Sunday night and said he saw “pain in their face(s)” and hoped “one mistake doesn’t define you.”

Mcdermott said he wanted to make sure the Blue Jays wanted him to remain as coach and apologized for the “distraction that I brought to this team for the choice that I made.”

The school said any disciplinar y action would remain confidential.

Mcdermott’s racially insensitive remarks overshadowed what was expected to be fantastic showdown between the top two teams in the Big East. The Wildcats instead raced to a 19-point lead and clinched their seventh regular-season title under coach Jay Wright in the last eight seasons.

The Wildcats lost Collin Gillespie, their star senior guard averaging 14.4 points, to a left knee injur y in the first half. He writhed in pain on the court and immediately needed help to the locker room.

“It’s serious. We don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s serious,” Wright said.

Mitch Ballock led Creighton with 14 points.

No. 11 Florida St. 93, Boston College 64

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — MJ Walker scored 18 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Raiquan Gray added 16 points to help No. 11 Florida State win its 25th straight ACC home game.

Gray scored in double figures for an 11th straight game for the Seminoles (15-4, 11-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are in position to win the league’s regular-season title with a win at Notre Dame on Saturday.