Too big. Too strong. Too athletic. Too fresh.

The third meeting between Seton Hall and UConn was no contest, nothing like the far closer first two encounters this season.

In its return to the Big East Tournament — the real one with fans — the third-seeded Huskies looked capable of cutting down the nets Saturday night. They cooled off the previously hot Pirates, who entered the evening on a six-game winning streak, but trailed by double figures most of the game in a one-sided 62-52 loss. They looked like they were playing in cement at times against a fresher opponent.

“It’s disappointing, but UConn is good,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said.

In front of a UConn-heavy sold-out crowd, Danny Hurley’s team defended and rebounded at an elite level, and made enough shots to cruise into Friday night’s semifinals. It will meet No. 2 Villanova in the nightcap, after No. 1 Providence takes on fourth-seeded Creighton.

UConn methodically built a 14-point, first-half lead, and while it was a seven-point game on a few occasions after the break, Seton Hall never seemed capable of putting a scare into the Huskies (23-8). It was 38-31 at the under-12 timeout, and the Pirates seemed to have momentum. But out of the break, Connecticut reeled off nine straight points, starting with a Tyler Polley three-point play and ending on two Tyrese Martin free throws that pushed the lead to 16.

Seton Hall had no answers for R.J. Cole and Martin, each of whom scored 17 points, and it got pushed around in the paint. Nothing came easy against Hurley’s stingy team, which won the battle on the glass, 46-33, and in the paint, 28-20.

“We just wear on teams,” Hurley said. “And eventually we can break a team’s will.”

It certainly didn’t help that the Pirates (21-10) shot just 35 percent from the field or that senior star Jared Rhoden shot a woeful 2 of 13. Myles Cale was Seton Hall’s best player, scoring a team-high 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting, and Kadary Richmond, despite a nagging sprained right thumb, added 14. Rhoden couldn’t help them nearly enough. He was hounded by Martin, who was able to keep him out of the paint and limit his open looks.

“Me coming into this game, that was something I took personal,” Martin said, referring to defending the All-Big East first-team selection.

The one bonus for Seton Hall is that it will have a much-needed break now for the NCAA Tournament, up to as much as a full week. It lost its bye week in mid-January due to the rescheduling of games, and was under pressure to finish the regular season strong in order to go Dancing. It looked like a tired team on Thursday night.

“I think a couple of days off for these guys is going to be really beneficial,” Willard said. “That is not going to be a bad thing.”