NEW YORK -- Someone is going to have to tell Pitt what to do this morning. This going home early stuff from the Big East tournament is all new to this group of Panthers.

For the first time in four years tomorrow night's Big East Conference championship game won't include Pitt. Unranked West Virginia defeated No. 2 Pitt, 74-60, in a conference tournament quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden, ending Pitt's reign as the champions of the conference.

West Virginia (23-10) advanced to face Syracuse, which stunned No. 3 Connecticut, 127-117, in six overtimes last night. Pitt will go home today and wait for Sunday night's unveiling of the NCAA tournament field.

Despite the bad loss, Pitt is still likely to gain a No. 1 seed in the tournament when the brackets are released.

Pitt (28-4) had been a fixture in the championship game almost every year since 2001. The Panthers had played in seven of the past eight title games, winning two.

This early exit had a stinging effect on the Panthers. Pitt's two senior leaders -- Sam Young and Levance Fields -- left the locker room without speaking to reporters. It was left to reserve freshman guard Ashton Gibbs to sum up the feelings of the team that came up short in its bid for a repeat.

"It wasn't a good feeling in here," Gibbs said. "No one wanted this to end this way. We just have to move on. We have another opportunity in the NCAA tournament."

This loss was like two others that came before it. Sophomore center DeJuan Blair, the Big East co-player of the year, picked up two early fouls and had to sit on the bench for the final 16 minutes of the first half. He picked up a technical midway through the second half and later fouled out of the game.

Blair's foul trouble was a big factor in two of Pitt's other losses against Louisville and Villanova. In last night's game, Blair scored 14 points, but he had just five rebounds in 18 minutes.

"I hate to say this, but I'd rather lose in the Big East tournament and win the NCAA championship," Blair said. "This is a setback for us, but we have to go forward."

Blair wasn't the only Pitt player in foul trouble. Tyrell Biggs picked up three fouls in the first half and only played 20 minutes. With Pitt's two starting low post players only able to play 38 minutes, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was forced to play seldom-used reserve center Gary McGhee for four minutes and at other times play a smaller lineup than he would like.

That resulted in West Virginia dominating the rebounding statistics. The Mountaineers held a 33-27 edge on the boards. The 27 rebounds tied a season-low for Pitt.

"They definitely matched our toughness," junior guard Jermaine Dixon said. "They definitely played tougher than us. With DeJuan out, they got a lot of rebounds. They owned us on the glass."

The Mountaineers' 1-3-1 zone was effective as well. After shooting 54 percent in the first half, the Panthers shot just 35 percent in the second half. They went almost seven minutes without a field goal in the second half as the Mountaineers built upon their two-point halftime lead. Pitt did not make a 3-point field goal for the first time this season. The Panthers were 0 for 8 from behind the arc.

"We just let it slip away from us," Blair said. "I don't know what was wrong with us. They were tough with the 1-3-1. It was tough with all of the foul trouble we had. We got what we deserved."

Pitt had no answer for West Virginia freshman Devin Ebanks, who scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Alex Ruoff added 18 points and Da'Sean Butler 16.

West Virginia shot 44 percent from the field for the game and used the shot clock to its advantage on most possessions, shortening the game and not allowing Pitt to get points in transition.

"We weren't making shots," Blair said. "We weren't shooting great shots. The 1-3-1 killed us."

Blair picked up his second foul of the first half with 15:59 remaining. Almost immediately, the Mountaineers took advantage of his absence and took control of the game.

Pitt led 9-4 when Blair exited the game, but 7 Â 1/2 minutes later West Virginia built a 24-18 lead. The Mountaineers looked to freshman forward Ebanks down low, and Ebanks accounted for seven points during the 20-9 run.

West Virginia led 36-34 at halftime after John Flowers tipped in an Ebanks miss at the buzzer.

Pitt's foul woes continued in the second half. With 11:06 remaining, Blair was called for a technical foul. It was a six-point game at the time. A little more than a minute later it was a 12-point game. Pitt didn't cut the deficit below eight points the rest of the way.