There were two games in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. One featured two teams who will become conference rivals very soon. It may have been the best game of the 2013 NCAA tournament.

Butler and Marquette, who will compete in the new-look Big East in 2013-14, met on Saturday. In the second round, the sixth-seeded Bulldogs used a strong inside game to take care of Bucknell and shake off a poor shooting game by Rotnei Clarke, while Marquette mounted a last-minute comeback to edge Davidson in a game where the Golden Eagles struggled to make shots for the first 39 minutes.

Start time is approximate and Eastern:

(4) Syracuse 66, (12) California 60

C.J. Fair scored 18 points, and Syracuse beat California, 66-60, in a third round game of the 2013 NCAA tournament's East Region in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday. The Orange led throughout the game, but the Golden Bears threatened late before fading. Syracuse advanced to the round of 16 in Washington, D.C. next Thursday. Richard Solomon led California with 20 points and 14 rebounds. The Golden Bears were just 4-for-21 from behind the 3-point line.

(3) Marquette 74, (6) Butler 72

Vander Blue scored 29 points, including 19 in the second half, and third-seeded Marquette beat sixth-seeded Butler, 74-72, in a third round game of the 2013 NCAA tournament's East Region in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday. The Golden Eagles trailed the Bulldogs by eight points at halftime, but they staged a rally, drawing even at 69-69 on Blue's 3-point shot with 1:25 to play. Jamil Wilson converted two free throws on Marquette's next possession to give Buzz Williams' team the lead for good.

Butler had two late possessions with a chance to tie, one courtesy of an errant inbounds pass by Blue, but the Bulldogs could not convert. Rotnei Clarke led Butler with 24 points, while teammate Andrew Smith added 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Marquette advanced to the round of 16 in Washington, D.C. next Thursday.

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