ProvidenceRI (AP) Providence coach Ed Cooley has heard a lot about how lucky his team is to go on to win close matches.
He’s hoping to start hearing how much talent his 11th-ranked brothers have, too.
Jared Bynum scored 27 points, including 3 key indicators to help Providence survive Xavier 99-92 in three extra hours on Wednesday night.
AJ Reeves added 16 points and Al Durham was 13 to help the first-placed Frears (23-3, 13-2 Big East) win for the second time in a row in overtime. They’ve gone 3-0 in the OT this season – all in the past four games – and this is the first time in school history that Providence has had 13 wins in the Big East.
“We are really lucky. “We play really well in close matches for whatever reason,” said Cooley. “That luck better comes from somewhere. It’s called talent. ”
It was the first three-way game in overtime in the Big East since St. John’s beat DePaul 90-82 on March 5, 2010. It was Providence’s first game in at least three more games since they lost 79-77 in five additional games to Dayton in January. .28, 1982.
As a chartered member of the Big East in 1979, the brothers could clinch their first regular season conference championship by winning one of their last two games. They host Creighton on Saturday and visit Villanova No. 8 next Tuesday.
Adam Kunkel scored 20 points and Paul Scruggs added 19 points for Xavier (17-10, 7-9), who lost two consecutive points and seven points out of 10. Scruggs hit the 3 pointer as time ended in second overtime.
“These guys emptied the tank from there,” said Cavalry coach Travis Steele. ‘Give credit to their men, they’ve put in some great plays.’
Nate Watson’s decline raised the brothers’ level from 94-92. Kunkel lost 3 in Xavier’s next possession and Bynum increased Providence’s 3 lead to five with 27.8 seconds left.
Xavier missed a 3 attempt and fell back on the next touch and fouled Noah Horschler. He hit two free throws, and after another jockey missed, Providence was able to run out of the clock.
“I’ll be lucky any time of the day if we keep winning like this,” Watson said.
The last sequence follows the wild finishes in each of the first two additional runs.
Zach Fremantle scored the first five points of the first overtime to put Xavier ahead 75-70. But the brothers scored the last five points to send it to a second.
They carried that momentum forward and Bynum scored four quick points in the second half to give the brothers a 79-75 lead.
The advance was to 79-77 when he returned the ball to the Knights. Scruggs fouled and hit both free throws to tie it.
The brothers overturned him again and Kunkel drowned floating in the fairway with 1:43 left.
Bynum was fouled but he made only one of his two free throws.
Xavier missed the next time on the ground and Bynum landed a 15-foot jump that gave Providence a 82-81 lead.
Kunkel was caught mid-air in the lane and overturned, making Xavier’s fault. Allen Breed, who had not attempted a shot until that point, made two free throws to score 84-81.
He brought Scruggs back to a point with his basket on the other end before two additional free throws by Breed.
Two more throws from Scruggs lowered the score to 86-85, but Xavier missed Watson before the next entry – a blatant foul. Watson made one of two, but Providence immediately missed again with six seconds left.
Breed hit the first but missed the second, allowing Scruggs to advance down the court and move a 3 from the wing at the bell.
The Big Picture
Providence hasn’t played its cleanest basketball over the past two games, but remains in the driver’s seat to win its first regular season title in the Big East with two games played. Three conference games for Friars have been canceled due to COVID-19.
in the list
Providence struggled to find offensive flow in Sunday’s overtime win over Butler without Durham, who has an athletic hernia. He’s back in the starting line-up, but some of the same problems surfaced again against the Knights.
Xavier led up to five in the second half before the Reeves hat-trick tied the game at 60 with 5:08 to play in the platform.
The cavalry responded by throwing a tailgate by Scruggs, followed by a 3-corner pointer by Horchler.
Kunkel’s short jump had the riders back 64-63.
The brothers missed twice out of the time-out, then turned it around when Scruggs intercepted Justin Minaya’s inside pass and passed it to Dwon Odom to throw the ball with 2:43 left.
Then play stopped after condensation began to form on the field. The delay lasted about 15 minutes before play resumed.
He defeated Reeves 3 to tie it up with the ensuing possession, followed by the Durham robbery. He fouled but connected only one of his two free throws to make the score 67-66.
A tip from Jack Nong put Xavier back in front before Watson scored 1 to 2 on the spoiled streak to leave the match tied.
Fremantle then took a free corner kick to give the riders an advantage of 70-68 with 45.2 seconds remaining.
Durham tied him up again with 23 seconds left.
next one
Xavier returns home to host Seton Hall on Saturday.
Providence celebrates Seniors Day on Saturday when it hosts Creighton.
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