NEW YORK (WPRI) — Late-game heroics lifted the Providence College Friars over the Butler Bulldogs on Thursday, sending them to the semifinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The top-seeded Friars trailed by a point as the game entered its final minute, but a key block from Justin Minaya and a 3-pointer from Al Durham turned the tide and PC went on to win 65-61.
Nate Watson scored a season-high 26 points, while Jared Bynum added 16 off the bench.
Providence will take the court again at 6:30 p.m. Friday to take on either No. 4 Creighton or No. 5 Marquette, who play Thursday afternoon.
12 Sports Director Morey Hershgordon is in New York and has you covered throughout the tournament. Follow him on social media for updates, and tune in to 12 News starting at 4 p.m. for live reports from Madison Square Garden.
The Friars ended their season with a 24-4 record and the program’s first Big East regular-season title, making them a lock for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Cooley was named Sporting News’ college basketball coach of the year on Tuesday, followed by Big East Coach of the Year on Wednesday.
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