It’s starting to feel like 2016.

A superstar taking over. A confident supporting cast getting better by the game. A once-precarious NCAA Tournament spot no longer in doubt.

Third-seeded Seton Hall is one win away from matching the Isaiah Whitehead-led group’s Big East Tournament title three years ago after Friday night’s rousing and contentious 81-79 victory over No. 2 Marquette that included a scuffle midway through the second half, three ejections and nine technical fouls. Myles Powell has played the role of Whitehead to a tee, scoring 18 of his 22 points in the second half after setting a Big East Tournament record for most points in a half with 29 the night against Georgetown.

“This team reminds me a little bit of that [team] just because we’re young. We play really hard. We’re scrappy,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said after his team’s fourth straight win earned it a spot in the title game against No. 1 Villanova on Saturday night. “We’re led by a phenomenal player just like we were with Isaiah, who’s as good as any player I’ve ever coached. But [Powell has] kind of done the same thing as Isaiah. He’s kind of put a team on his back and stayed with it.”

The Pirates have made sure not to let his heroics go to waste, rallying from 12 down in the first half, and surviving despite the ejection of starter Sandro Mamukelashvili and Michael Nzei, Quincy McKnight and Romaro Gill all fouling out in what became a foul fest down the stretch with 85 free throw attempts. There were also words exchanged after the game between the two teams — Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski and Seton Hall (20-12) players Powell and McKnight were seen getting into a verbal dispute — an appropriate cap to this wild night. Neither team opened its locker room, typically a Big East Tournament policy, after being given that option by the league.

“It was the most unusual basketball game I’ve ever been a part of, and I feel bad for my kids,” said Wojciechowski , who declined to address the postgame words that were exchanged. “They’re in there, and they’re sobbing. I wish our kids would have had a chance to decide the game, and their kids, too.”

Until the clock hit triple zeroes, the final result was in doubt. The Pirates nearly blew a six-point lead with under a minute left, in part due to freshmen Jared Rhoden missing a wide-open dunk and getting called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim. But after Shavar Reynolds made one free throw with 7.2 seconds left, Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard missed a game-winning 3-point attempt at the buzzer. For the second straight time, McKnight (18 points) locked down Howard, who went 1-of-15 from the floor but went to the free throw line 24 times.

Emotions were already high, the pro Seton Hall crowd upset with the officials following technical fouls on Willard and Mamukelashvili, when the evening took a dramatic turn. Seton Hall was down 53-50 when Powell was fouled hard out of bounds by Marquette forward Theo John and an incident ensued. Three players — Seton Hall’s Mamukelashvili and Marquette’s John and Sacar Anim — were ejected. Powell thought he was gone too after being assessed a technical foul and angrily stormed off into locker room. Second later, however, he was joined by assistant coach Duane Woodard, telling him to get back on the court.

“Once I heard that, I’m wiping my tears,” he recalled. “‘Come back out?’ I was just happy they gave me a second chance.”

A flagrant foul in the first half had been confused with a technical, and so Powell was spared.

Moments later, he was back on the floor, receiving a rousing ovation.

“It was crazy,” he said.

With four fouls, Willard didn’t immediately insert him back into the game. But after a Howard 3-point pushed the lead to six with 10:04 left, Powell was back, and he immediately made his presence felt. He hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Seton Hall a 64-63 lead with 6:33 to go, and the lead went to five after a McKnight jumper with 4:13 left. The lead would get precarious, the game coming down to a final shot. But Seton Hall prevailed.

“Like I’ve been saying to the media all year, the best thing about this team is we’re fighters,” Powell said. “Our backs were to the wall the whole time. We came together as brothers and head each others back.”

Now Seton Hall is headed back to the final, just like in 2016. As was the case that year, league juggernaut Villanova is standing in the Pirates’ way.