The top-seeded Providence Friars were in a battle Thursday against the Butler Bulldogs that came down to the final minute of their Big East Tournament quarterfinals match-up.
The teams found themselves tied at halftime and Butler had a very real shot at pulling off the upset. Providence then found themselves down one with 42 seconds left in the game when senior guard Al Durham hit a clutch three to put the Friars ahead, 61-59.
No better time to hit your first shot of the day! 😳
Big bucket for @PCFriarsMBB's @aldurham01 pic.twitter.com/e7YvVWCZfz
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 10, 2022
Providence would never relinquish this lead again, going on to win the game 65-61, though it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort from the Bulldogs. Butler’s Bo Hodges made a layup with eight seconds left, and nearly got the steal on the inbounds pass from Providence. However, Providence retained the ball and scored once more to put themselves up four, solidifying the win on this crazy sequence of plays.
Providence holds off an upset bid from Butler in the Big East Tournament.
The Friars finish on a 9-2 run to win by 4. 🏀 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/amcXTKWg40
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 10, 2022
This crazy finish garnered a ton of reactions from the college basketball world after an extremely exciting back and forth game.
Providence every game pic.twitter.com/4EuXNInmlE
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) March 10, 2022
Providence is now 11-2 in games decided by five points or less.
The Friars' dream season continues and will extend into Friday night at the Big East Tournament. https://t.co/TDuW6AtRAy
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 10, 2022
Providence Friars with yet another close win.
Gonna call about 10 more spots in KENPOM!
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 10, 2022
If I may borrow from the great @jon_bois:
why watch Providence basketball when you can simply snort cocaine and ride a motorcycle out of a helicopter
— The Truth About PC Basketball (@TTAPCBBall) March 10, 2022
Butler gave Providence all they could handle in this game but ultimately fell short. The Bulldogs looked like a team that could be a bid stealer for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, but will certainly not be able to make it now.
Providence advances to face the winner of the Creighton-Marquette matchup on Thursday, where they will certainly be looking for a more stress-free victory than the one they got against Butler.
