Friar Basketball
Home / Game Recaps / BC’s Loss is PC’s Gain

BC’s Loss is PC’s Gain

cottonbc

Bryce Cotton very nearly ended up at Boston College.

When Steve Donahue first took over at BC he had Cotton in for a visit, yet the Eagles, like all but one Division I school, just couldn’t pull the trigger on the combo guard out of Arizona.

After Cotton nearly willed Providence to a win over BC at the Conte Forum last December (33 points on 7 three pointers), Donahue admitted he “probably made a mistake” in not offering him a scholarship in 2010.

Probably?

Cotton left little doubt in the first game of his senior year, and his last against Donahue’s Eagles. Now a senior, Cotton simply wouldn’t let the Friars lose on Friday night, scoring 28 points on 9-20 shooting from the field and 9-10 at the free throw line in Providence’s 82-78 overtime victory. He added six rebounds and four assists just to hammer the point home further.

Jim Calhoun would say Donahue, ahem, messed up.

On a night filled with whistles (six players fouled out), up and down performances from key players, and a back and forth overtime session, Cotton was the one constant throughout.

“What can you say?” Ed Cooley asked after the game about his star. “I think we’re so blessed to have a young man with his ability.

“Overall, this kid showed why he is one of the best two guards/point guards in the country. There are going to be games when he is just unstoppable. Tonight I thought he was unstoppable, and to his credit he said, ‘Coach, I need the ball in the second half. I won’t let us lose tonight.’ So it’s a credit to this dude’s leadership, growth, and how far he’s come. I’m really proud of Bryce.”

The maturation of Cotton — from jump shooter to scorer — was never more evident than in Providence’s “gotta have it” possessions on Friday.

A few examples:

  • BC stunned the Friars with a late first half run that came with star guard Olivier Hanlan (23 points) on the bench with foul trouble. The Eagles scored immediately out of the locker room to push their lead to a game-high six early in the second half, but Cotton countered with a difficult layup to keep PC close. He then tied the game on a pair of free throws two minutes later.
  • Another difficult layup two minutes after that gave Providence their first second half lead, and it looked as though Cotton provided a dagger with just under seven minutes left when he buried his only 3 pointer of the night to make it 55-49 PC.
  • PC trailed with just over a minute to play when Kadeem Batts scored on a shot hook to give them a one point lead, which Cotton followed with another layup to push the advantage to three.
  • In overtime, Cotton scored seven of his 28, including a jump shot with under three minutes to play to pull them within one, and a pair of three throws with just over two minutes left to give PC a one point lead.

For all of Cotton’s heroics, this game would have been lost if not for veterans making key plays.

Cooley said junior LaDontae Henton (15 points, 13 rebounds and baskets at critical junctures) was “an animal”, he had high praise for the job Carson Desrosiers did in providing energy and an interior presence on the defensive end, and he once again lauded Lee Goldsbrough and Ted Bancroft for their preparation, “They were ready for the moment; they have prepared in practice. I thought we had a couple of great preparation practices. They are not in that first unit, but it goes to show you when you pay attention good things can happen.”

Goldsbrough was more than ready for the moment late.

With the game tied in overtime with just over a minute to play, the senior came up with a steal and was fouled. He made both and gave Providence a lead they would never relinquish. It was a great moment for a largely unheralded senior who won’t win you games in the manner that Cotton does, but he often comes out on top in individual situations that help win close games.

But the story of the night was Cotton — the player BC’s head coach once thought wasn’t good enough — kicked off his final season of college basketball by earning high praise from Donahue afterwards, “I think Bryce Cotton is as good a scorer as there is in the country. He’s hard to guard, he makes shots, and uses both hands well. We didn’t do a good job on him.”

Cooley pointed out that his team had to change on the fly this week after Kris Dunn injured his shoulder and Brandon Austin and Rodney Bullock were suspended. Perhaps no one had to adjust more than Cotton, who was suddenly charged with running the offense — a strategy that often resulted in putting the ball in Cotton’s hands and letting him do the rest.

“As far as the last week, it’s been challenging mentally, but my teammates have always encouraged me and let me go at my own pace,” said Cotton. “I didn’t want to let the guys down considering we’re such a special team. You know we love one another and we view each other as brothers. I just wanted to make sure I went out there and gave it all I got.”

You must be logged in to post a comment Login