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Providence Stuns Creighton

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Big East Player of the Year Devin Carter had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead seventh-seeded Providence to a 78-73 victory over No. 8-ranked Creighton on Thursday evening in the Big East quarterfinals.

The Friars fended off a late comeback by the second-seeded Bluejays to hang on for the victory.

Providence (21-12) is headed to its second Big East tournament semifinals in three years.

Creighton (23-9) trailed by as many as 13 points early in the second half before using a 13-2 run to rally. Trey Alexander sparked the run and ended it with a jumper to give the Bluejays a 64-63 lead, with 5:37 remaining.

It didn’t last long though, as there were five lead changes in the next two minutes, including Jayden Pierre’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:37 left to give the Friars a 70-68 lead.

Providence stayed in front and made Creighton pay for missing potential game-tying free-throw opportunities. Ryan Kalkbrenner missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Trey Alexander went 0-for-2 at the free-throw line down the stretch. Carter and Josh Oduro responded with back-to-back layups to help Providence pull away.

Oduro had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Pierre finished with 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists. The Friars shot 29 of 70 (41.4 percent) and 6 of 23 (26.1 percent) from the 3-point arc.

Creighton struggled offensively early on. A stingy defensive effort by the Friars restricted the Bluejays to shooting just 25.8 percent in the first half, as Providence held a 33-30 halftime lead.

The Bluejays regrouped in a much improved second half and shot 14 of 27 (51.9 percent) after the break. Four players scored in double figures in the loss.

Kalkbrenner, the three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, played a key role in the comeback effort with his play on both ends, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Alexander also had 19 points for the Bluejays. Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth each had 16 points.

–Eugene Rapay, Field Level Media

Providence Romps in Big East

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Josh Oduro posted 20 points and nine rebounds as seventh-seeded Providence defeated 10th-seeded Georgetown 74-56 in the first round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday.

Providence’s Devin Carter, who was named Big East Player of the Year hours before the game, tallied 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Ticket Gaines shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

The Friars (20-12) made 12 of 32 attempts from deep as they kept their faint NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They will face No. 8 Creighton, the second seed, in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Georgetown (9-23) saw its first season under coach Ed Cooley come to an end in ignominious fashion. Cooley, Providence’s coach for 12 years, finished the season 0-3 against the Friars.

Jayden Epps poured in 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting to power the Hoyas’ offense.

Georgetown turned an 18-point deficit into a 64-56 game with 3:40 left after Drew Fielder contributed eight points, including two 3-pointers, and Epps made a driving layup.

Oduro made two free throws, and after Epps missed a pair of his own, Carter pulled up for a long 3-pointer that rattled around the rim and dropped to give the Friars a 13-point lead with 2:51 to go. From there, they were not seriously threatened.

Georgetown finished the game 4-of-19 from the foul line, with Epps shooting 3-of-11 there.

Providence was ahead 9-7 when Rich Barron knocked down a transition 3-pointer to spark a 11-0 run. Gaines hit a trey to make it 20-7 Friars, and Cooley called a timeout to stem the tide.

Another triple by Gaines gave Providence a 14-point lead. Epps kept the Hoyas in the game by making a 3-pointer while being fouled to the ground and finishing the four-point play.

Epps brought Georgetown within 28-21 with 9:25 left in the half, but Garwey Dual and Corey Floyd Jr. joined Providence’s 3-point party. Oduro’s free throws in the final minute gave the Friars a 40-27 halftime lead.

The Hoyas fell behind 45-27 early in the second half before forging a comeback. Rowan Brumbaugh set up Dontrez Styles for a reverse dunk, but less than a minute later Oduro tossed it to Carter and he elevated in the lane for an alley-oop of his own.

Georgetown drew within 49-40 while Providence went scoreless for a 4:50 stretch. Oduro knocked down a 3-pointer with 11:22 left to end that drought.

Carter deflected a pass near halfcourt and took it in for a dunk to make it 61-46 with 7:53 left.

–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

BIG EAST Names Providence’s Devin Carter as Conference Player of Year

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Providence guard Devin Carter was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Connecticut coach Dan Hurley wasnBIG EAST Coach of the Year and Hurley’s freshman guard standout Stephon Castle was been selected unanimously BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.

The conference’s head coaches make the selections and are not permitted to vote for their own players. The awards are presented at Madison Square Garden prior to the start of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament Presented by JEEP. It is the 42nd consecutive year the BIG EAST is playing its postseason tournament at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Carter, a 6-3 junior guard, is the BIG EAST scoring champion with a 21.4 average in league games. Overall, he ranks second in scoring at 19.4, third in rebounding at 8.6, fourth in 3-point shooting, making 38.5 percent and fourth in steals at 1.9. Carter, whose hometown is Miami, Fla., has posted 12 double-doubles this season, which ranks third in the league. In addition to his outstanding offensive production, he is also considered one of the BIG EAST’s top defensive players. Carter has helped lead the Friars to a 19-12 overall record and a 10-10 league mark. He is only the second Providence player to earn BIG EAST Player of the Year. Kris Dunn won in 2015-16 and shared the award in 2014-15 with Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono.

Hurley, in his sixth season at UConn, has guided the Huskies to an overall record of 28-3 and an 18-2 BIG EAST mark, which is the highest conference victory total in league history. Included in the 18 victories was a 14-game BIG EAST winning streak.  The Huskies are outright regular season BIG EAST champions for the first time since 1999. Hurley’s UConn career record is 132-58 (.695). In BIG EAST regular season play, he is 55-21 (.724). This week, the Huskies are ranked second in both national polls. Hurley’s Huskies are 27-1 against non-conference opponents over the last two seasons with all 27 wins coming by double digits. During that stretch, they set the D-I record with 24 straight.

Castle’s selection as Freshman of the Year should not be a surprise since he was the Preseason Freshman of the Year as chosen by the coaches and earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors a record 11 times during the season, including the last seven weeks. Unlike most college freshmen, Castle also excels defensively and is customarily given difficult defensive assignments. He leads all league freshman with an 11.2 scoring average, but also makes all-around contributions, with averages of 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists. The last UConn player to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year was Rudy Gay in 2004-05. Gay shared the honor with Jeff Green of Georgetown.

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Devin Carter, Providence

BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Dan Hurley, Connecticut

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Stephon Castle, Connecticut

Big East: Bryce Hopkins Hurt

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PROVIDENCE – (Report from Official News Release) – Only 16 games into the 110-game BIG EAST league schedule and just one team remains unbeaten after two drama-filled contests on Wednesday. Seton Hall won at Providence 61-57 and Villanova edged Xavier 66-65.

Seton Hall got scoring support from Dre Davis, who notched a team-high 17 points. Kadary Richmond contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Pirates (9-5, 2-1 BIG EAST) shot slightly better than Providence (11-3, 2-1) from beyond the arc. The Hall was 7-of-16 and PC was 4-of-17. Josh Oduro netted a game-high 23 points for PC. Bryce Hopkins suffered a leg injury five minutes into the second half and did not return. The Friar defense was also strong, holding the Pirates to 36.2 shooting from the floor. Both of Seton Hall’s league wins have come against ranked opponents (UConn).

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Villanova had a 10-point lead midway through the second half, then held off a Xavier comeback bid. The Wildcats (10-4, 3-0) got 26 points from Hakim Hart (14) and Brendan Hausen (12) off the bench. Eric Dixon helped with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Musketeers (7-7, 1-2) were led by Quincy Olivari’s 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Xavier was 10-of-10 from the line, but only 5-of-18 from 3-point range.

The next BIG EAST action is Friday when fourth-ranked UConn visits Butler at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Huskies (12-2, 2-1) lead the league in scoring offense (83.1), scoring margin (+19.5) and are the only BIG EAST team shooting better than 50 percent from the field (50.2). The Bulldogs (10-4, 1-2) are third nationally (12.9) in fewest fouls committed and 20th in free throw shooting (77.2).

Providence Unbeaten at Home

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The “down the stretch” portion of the regular season is here. Tuesday night was a great example with two of the four games going into double overtime.

No. 24 Providence stayed unbeaten at home (14-0) this season with a 94-86 double-overtime decision over No. 18 Creighton at the AMP. The Friars got 65 points from the trio of Devin Carter (25), Bryce Hopkins (20) and Noah Locke (20). Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard was the game’s top rebounder with 10 boards and scored a team-high 21 points. The Friars and Bluejays are tied for third place in the standings with 11-4 records. PC is 19-7 overall. Creighton is 17-9.

The other double-overtime contest had St. John’s (16-11, 6-10 BE) rallying from a 13-point deficit with less than seven minutes in regulation and outlasting DePaul 92-83. Dylan Addae-Wusu scored a career-high 24 points, including a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to force overtime. Joel Soriano posted his 21st double-double with 21 points and 16 boards. For DePaul (9-17, 3-12 BE), Javon Johnson had six 3-pointers and 26 points.

Seton Hall held Georgetown to 36.5 percent shooting from the field and helped force 16 turnovers in a 76-68 victory. Al-Amir Dawes scored a game-high 20 points for the Pirates (16-11, 9-7 BE). Tyrese Samuel added 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Hoyas (6-21, 1-15) cut a 15-point deficit to four in the final minutes but could not complete the comeback. Primo Spears netted a team-high 16 points.

Villanova put the defensive clamps on visiting Butler in a 62-50 win. The Wildcats (13-13, 7-8 BE) held the Bulldogs (13-14, 5-11 BE) to a .377 percentage from the floor. VU’s Justin Moore had a team-high 15 points and Caleb Daniels added 13. Butler’s Jayden Taylor continued his strong play with a game-high 20 points.

The lone game on Wednesday figures to be a must-see matchup with No. 11 Marquette hosting No. 16 Xavier on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. ET. The Golden Eagles (20-6, 12-3 BE) have a half-game lead over the Musketeers (19-6, 11-3 BE). Xavier won the first meeting 80-76 on Jan. 15 at Cintas Center.

Xavier Tops Providence in O.T.

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CINCINNATI – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In a battle of ranked teams on Wednesday, No. 16 Xavier and No. 17 Providence went into overtime before the Musketeers prevailed. No. 14 Marquette, Seton Hall and Creighton also picked up victories.

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Xavier edged Providence 85-83 at Cintas Center. It was the fourth win over a ranked opponent for the Musketeers (18-5, 10-2 BIG EAST). Jack Nunge produced his seventh double-double of the season with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Guards Souley Boum and Colby Jones each scored 20 points. Noah Locke made 6-of-7 from 3-point range and finished with 22 points for the Friars (17-6, 9-3 BE). Jared Bynum’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer rattled out.

Marquette remained in a tie with Xavier atop the league standings with a 73-64 victory over Villanova. The Golden Eagles (18-5, 10-2) trailed 62-61 with five minutes left before outscoring the Wildcats (10-12, 4-7 BE) 12-2 to close the game. Marquette’s Tyler Kolek posted 20 points and six assists. Eric Dixon and Caleb Daniels each scored 14 points for Villanova.

Seton Hall earned its fourth BIG EAST road win with an 84-72 victory over St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena. The Pirates (14-9, 7-5 BE) recovered from a 13-point deficit in the first half to win their sixth game in their last seven. Al-Amir Dawes scored a game-high 21 points and Kadary Richmond filled his stat line with 15 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. AJ Storr continued his recent strong play with 15 points for the Red Storm (14-9, 4-8 BE).

Georgetown held Creighton to its lowest scoring total in BIG EAST play, but the Bluejays still recorded a 63-53 victory, their fifth straight win. Ryan Kalkbrenner led the Bluejays (14-8, 8-3 BE) with 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Baylor Scheierman added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Qudus Wahab had 14 points, seven boards and three steals for the Hoyas (6-17, 1-1 BE).

BIG EAST play returns on Saturday with four games.

Friars Clinch Big East Season Title

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News release) – Providence defeated Creighton 72-51 Saturday to capture its first BIG EAST regular-season championship.  The Friars (24-3, 14-2 BIG EAST) held a comfortable lead throughout most of the game and cruised to the finish line. A.J. Reeves made 7-of-10 from 3-point range and finished with a game-high 23 points. The Bluejays (19-9, 11-6 BE) had their six-game winning streak come to an end. Ryan Kalkbrenner had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Marquette solidified its fifth-place standing with a 64-56 win over visiting Butler at a sold-out Fiserv Forum. The Golden Eagles (18-10, 10-7 BE) trailed most of the game, but overcame the Bulldogs (13-17, 6-13 BE) in the final five minutes. Darryl Morsell led Marquette with 16 points. Justin Lewis scored all 12 of his points in the second half. Butler’s Bryce Nze notched his second straight double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Seton Hall is 6-2 in February after winning 82-66 at Xavier. Jared Rhoden poured in a career-high 30 points and grabbed six rebounds. Tray Jackson was 6-of-6 from the floor, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range, for 17 points. The Pirates (18-9, 9-8 BE) had 17 points off turnovers to only four for the Musketeers (17-11, 7-10 BE). Xavier’s Colby Jones shined with 20 points, 10 boards and four assists.

Today’s schedule has two games. Connecticut plays at Georgetown at noon ET on CBS. The Huskies beat the Hoyas 96-73 on Jan. 25. They are 11-5 in the league standings and alone in third place after Creighton’s loss. Also, St. John’s plays at DePaul at 5 p.m. on FS1. The Johnnies won the first meeting 89-84 on Jan. 5. They are 7-9 in league play and in seventh place, a half-game ahead of Xavier. The Blue Demons are coming off a 68-65 victory at Georgetown.

Cooley Earns 300th Win for Friars

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PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – On a three-game Saturday, Seton Hall won a fierce battle in overtime against Connecticut. Providence gave coach Ed Cooley his 300th career victory with a win against St. John’s. Villanova used a strong second half to win at DePaul.

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At Prudential Center, Seton Hall (11-3, 2-2 BE) and UConn (10-4, 1-2 BE) battled for 45 minutes before the Pirates prevailed 90-87. Pirate guard Kadary Richmond, who had a 6.9 scoring average, tallied a game-high 27 points. He scored 17 straight points in the second half and made the deciding basket with 31 seconds left in the extra stanza. Fellow guard Bryce Aiken had seven of his 22 points in overtime. UConn’s Adama Sanogo was a force with 18 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Providence (14-2, 4-1 BE) trailed St. John’s (9-4, 1-1 BE) by seven points early in the second half before recovering to post an 83-73 victory at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Nate Watson led the Friar surge by scoring 18 of his game-high 22 points after the break. Jared Bynum added 18 points. Justin Minaya had 14 points and helped limit St. John’s Julian Champagnie to 11 points. St. John’s Dylan Addae-Wusu posted his second straight career scoring high with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. PC is 10-0 at home this season.

DePaul put together a 37-32 lead by halftime against Villanova before the Wildcats rebounded with a 79-64 victory at Wintrust Arena. Villanova (11-4, 4-1 BE) opened the second half with a 15-2 run to take control of the game. Collin Gillespie led the winners with 28 points. Justin Moore supported the effort with 21 points and seven rebounds. Javon Freeman-Liberty poured in a career-high 34 points for the Blue Demons (9-5, 0-4 BE). David Jones added 12 points.

BIG EAST action picks up again on Tuesday with DePaul at Marquette at 7 p.m. ET followed by Providence at Creighton at 9 p.m. Both games will be televised by FS1. The DePaul-Marquette game will be an All-Access Game with head coaches Tony Stubblefield and Shaka Smart wearing a live microphone throughout the telecast.