Season in Review: Taking Home the Title
A last minute loss at home to #10 Villanova stung (it could have all but wrapped up the Big East regular season title), but those waiting for any negative fallout would ultimately be disappointed as Providence ripped off three consecutive wins — each more thrilling than the last.
Playing without Al Durham at Butler, the eighth-ranked Friars trailed by 19 points in the second half, and were down seven with two and a half minutes left, but somehow managed to force overtime.
“He's been in pain for the last month and we thought right now it would be the right thing to do to keep him out," Cooley said of Durham. "We were disheveled without him.”
Disheveled or not, Providence made so many big plays late.
Jared Bynum knocked down a contested 30-footer as the shot clock expired to cut an eight point deficit to five with 6:43 to go.
After Bynum found Nate Watson for a dunk to make it a two point game with under five minutes to play, Butler scored the next five points and had the ball with about two and a half minutes to play but turned it over, leading to an AJ Reeves three to cut the lead to four with 2:25 left. Reeves then hit an impossible step-back on the next possession and it was a 61-60 game with 1:40 on the clock.
The Friars forced overtime after Noah Horchler tied it on a deep two, then blocked a layup attempt at the rim with a second remaining.
The overtime saw Watson (22 points) going to work inside, Bynum giving PC a one point lead with 38 seconds to go with a pair of free throws, and Butler’s Jayden Taylor missing a wide open three with ten seconds to play. There was a mad scramble for the ball, PC recovered it with no time left, and walked out of Hinkle Fieldhouse with a 71-70 victory.
This one was yet another testament to this team’s ability to pull out close games. Down 19, without Durham, and having used all of their timeouts in the opening minutes of the second half, they found a way to win and improve to 22-3 on the season and 12-2 in conference.
Just when it seemed as though things could not have gotten any wilder for the 2021-22 Friars, Xavier came to town three days later.
Following the Villanova loss, and a narrow victory over Butler, PC had dropped to #11 in the AP Poll.
Durham returned to the lineup in a rematch of what was a great game against Xavier in Cincinnati, where Bynum knocked down a last-second 3-pointer to win it.
Bynum would once again be the hero against X, finishing with 27 points in the first triple overtime game Providence had played since they lost in five overtimes to Dayton way back in 1982.
No Friar season would be complete without some sort of stoppage due to a leaky roof or floor at the Dunkin Donuts Center, and that was the case again on this night.
Reeves was big down the stretch in regulation, converting a four point play with 5:07 left and then breathing life back into the Friars with a step-back three at the top of the key to tie it with 2:24 left following a long stoppage due to a leak in the roof.
Durham sent the game to overtime on a tough fadeaway with 23 seconds to go, then PC bounced back from trailing 75-70 to force a second overtime thanks to a Bynum and-1 and a tip-in by Minaya. The second OT saw more tough shot-making from Bynum before Paul Scruggs sent the game into a third overtime with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The crowd was on its feet for seemingly all of the overtime sessions, and their Friars sent them home happy behind a drive by Alyn Breed, Watson snapping a tie with just over a minute left with a put-back, and more clutch shooting from Bynum.
Bynum’s bomb and some late free throws helped PC advance to 23-3 on the season, and 13-2 in Big East play. Thanks to a UConn victory over Villanova, they had a chance to clinch their first-ever Big East regular season title in their home finale against Creighton.
As it turned out, the Jays never had a chance.
Not with history on the line, and not in a Dunkin Donuts Center that was near an eruption point from late January until the final buzzer sounded and their Friars were Big East champs.
AJ Reeves closed out his Providence career the way he started it — by making seven 3-pointers and leading PC in scoring in a 72-51 victory.
This one was more celebration than contest, as PC overwhelmed the young Jays to improve to 24-3 and 14-2.
“There’s a lot of emotion, but I don’t know if there’s a better college basketball environment in the country. Today is the highest of highs with respect with where we’re trying to go,” Ed Cooley said after the game.
“To win this championship, it was very emotional,” Watson said. “All this work finally paid off. I’ve been here for five years. I love being a Friar.”
It was an unforgettable night in an unforgettable season.
With the regular season title in hand, the Friars sat Durham for the finale at Villanova. Regardless, they battled until the end, as the two teams traded big shots over the final six minutes before Nova walked away with a 76-74 win. PC shot the lights out, making 15 threes as a team, led by five each from Reeves and Horchler. Bynum led them with 19 points and 10 assists.
Closing the regular season with a loss did nothing to dampen the excitement and expectation as Providence headed to the postseason.