NEW YORK -- Da'Sean Butler was the hero Thursday night when his buzzer beater bank shot gave West Virginia a close-shave victory against Cincinnati in a Big East tournament quarterfinal game. Butler did not wait until the last second to win the game for his team Friday night. His superb play throughout a semifinal game against Notre Dame gives the Mountaineers a crack at their first conference championship tonight against Georgetown.

Butler scored 24 points to lead West Virginia to a 53-51 victory at Madison Square Garden. Butler, a first-team all-conference selection, sparked the Mountaineers in the first half and then took charge again in the second half with his sweet stroke from the outside.

With the victory, West Virginia (26-6) will play in the Big East tournament championship game for the second time in school history. The Mountaineers, who joined the Big East in 1995, lost to Syracuse in the 2005 title game.

The Mountaineers will play Georgetown at 9 p.m. tonight. The Hoyas defeated Marquette, 80-57, in the first semifinal game Friday night.

West Virginia has more than making school history on the line tonight against the Hoyas. The Mountaineers are still in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

West Virginia exorcised some demons against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is hardly known as a basketball school, but the Irish had won 14 of the previous 17 meetings between the two school, including a 70-68 victory earlier this season at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame won five consecutive games and advanced to the semifinal game by running a snail's pace offense that dictated the tempo of games. After some early success with the same approach against West Virginia, Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins decided to throw the Irish a curveball to get the game to a more favorable pace for his team.

Huggins went to a 1-3-1 zone defense that forced Notre Dame out of its rhythm. That sparked a 13-3 run that turned the game in West Virginia's favor.

Notre Dame made only one field goal in 11 ?? minutes. Butler led the offensive charge to give the Mountaineers the lead. Butler scored 9 of his 11 first-half points in a little more than six minutes. His basket with 10:01 remaining in the half gave the Mountaineers their first lead of the game, 10-9. His 3-pointer with 6:48 remaining gave the Mountaineers a 17-12 lead.

West Virginia twice boosted the lead to six in the final three minutes of the half, but Ben Hansbrough made a 3-pointer with 37 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 23-20. Hansbrough appeared to tie the score with a buzzer beater 3-pointer, but an official's review nullified the basket.

When the second half began, Notre Dame got those three points back 30 seconds in when Carleton Scott made a 3-pointer. But the Mountaineers quickly resumed control of the game with three consecutive baskets.

Butler made a jumper and then Kevin Jones made back-to-back buckets that forced Notre Dame coach Mike Brey to call a timeout with 16:56 remaining.

Notre Dame cut the lead to three on a Luke Harangody basket and a free throw from Hansbrough, but Butler swiflty took the game over after that. Butler sparked a 10-4 West Virginia run with eight points, including two 3-pointers. His third 3-pointer of the game gave the Mountaineers a 39-30 lead with 12:02 remaining.

Notre Dame was able to cut the lead to three with 3:32 remaining after Hanbrough made 3-pointers 39 seconds apart. Devin Ebanks was called for a charge with 2:59 remaining. Joe Mazzulla fouled Tory Jackson on the ensuing possession, and Jackson pulled the Irish to within one point after making two free throws. Mazzulla responded at the other end with a layup to restore the three-point lead with 2:41 remaining.

After jackson missed a 3-pointer, Kevin Jones was fouled and made two free throws with 1:56 remaining to make it 52-47.

Hansbrough came back and scored 20 seconds later to cut the lead to three again. But Butler made another big play to help seal the game. He pulled down an offensive rebound with 1"02 remaining and was fouled. He made one of two free throws to make it a four-point game.

Hanbrough made two free throws with 47 seconds left to make it 53-51. Jackson had a chance to give Notre Dame the victory with a 3-point attempt but it front of the iron.

NOTES -- Georgetown will be playing in its 13 conference championship game. The Hoyas, who are the second No. 8 seed to advance to a Big East title game, have won a Big East record seven championships. They will be playing for the championship for the third time in the past four years... Notre Dame (23-11) was attempting to reach the championship game for the first time. The Fighting Irish were knocked out in the semifinal round for the third time.

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