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Notebook: Cotton Courageous in Defeat

Cotton_Hall

The last time Providence went to double overtime was in February 2005 (good find by The Woonsocket Call’s Brendan McGair) in a wild one against Connecticut that ultimately resulted in the Huskies escaping with a 94-89 victory, despite a career high 37 points from PC senior Ryan Gomes.

Nearly eight years later, the Friars were back in double overtime on the last day of 2013, and looked to be headed to a victory thanks to the extra session heroics of senior Bryce Cotton.

Cotton had to have been playing on fumes by game’s end today. Just three days ago he played all 45 minutes in an overtime loss to Massachusetts — a game that went to overtime thanks to Cotton’s last second layup and nearly went to a second OT after he canned a three pointer to tie it with under a minute to play.

Cotton wasn’t at his best for much of Tuesday’s loss to Seton Hall. In fact, at the end of regulation he’d shot just 3-11 from the field and missed all six of his three point attempts, but what separates PC’s current star from so many other players is his unwavering confidence — a trait Ed Cooley and his staff sought to bring out when they first came to Providence during Cotton’s sophomore season.

So, he had missed all of his three point attempts in regulation. When Providence trailed by three with under three minutes left in overtime he knocked down a deep one to tie it.

With the Friars behind by four with 1:15 left in the first overtime, Cotton connected again from deep, yet this one was a toe-on-the-line two that made it a two point game.

With five seconds left in overtime and PC down two, Cotton was sent to the free throw line. To the surprise of few, he made both to send the game into double overtime.

In the second extra session his layup at 2:58 untied it, a tough runner gave PC a one point lead with 1:27 left, then with under a minute remaining and Providence trailing by a two Cotton was fouled, his shot attempt was ruled a goal tend and his free throw gave PC a one point lead with 53 seconds remaining.

In 2005 Gomes scored 11 of his 37 in the second overtime session before falling just short. Cotton made five of his six shots in the extra sessions — an impressive array of deep shots and layups that kissed high off of the backcourt — before he too fell late.

With all due respect to the numbers MarShon Brooks put up in Keno Davis’ system, Bryce Cotton is the best player to don a Providence uniform since Gomes graduated in 2005.

“I think Bryce is one of the top two or three players in our league,” Ed Cooley said before adding, “He’s Superman right now for us.”

Henton Comes Through Late

It took over 19 minutes, but when PC finally tied this one up it was LaDontae Henton who swooped through the lane for a layup with roughly 30 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 58. He then made a jumper to give Providence a lead in the opening seconds of the second overtime and made what looked to be the game-winning free throws with 20 seconds left.

Harris Puts it Together

Tyler Harris was very good for Providence after filling the stat sheet against Massachusetts. When seemingly nothing was going for the Friars offensively, Harris was the offense, as he finished with 22 points and nine rebound in 47 minutes.

Harris made 8-14 shots and 2-4 from three.

Bancroft Provides a Lift

The turnover at the end of double overtime will most likely be what sticks with Ted Bancroft after this one, but the senior forward had given the Friars quite a boost prior to that play.

Providence was reeling when Bancroft hit a baseline 19 footer at the end of the first half to bring PC to within a possession at halftime, and his three pointer with just under 14 minutes left snapped a 9-0 run that pushed Seton Hall’s advantage to 12.

Just as significant, Bancroft forced a late turnover when closing out hard on Seton Hall shooter Brian Oliver, who had torched PC with four 3 pointers in the second half alone. After the game Cooley sounded frustrated when speaking of how often Providence left Oliver open, despite their scouting report noting that if he’s shooting, he’s shooting from deep.

Pirates with Options

Seton Hall was playing without double double machine Gene Teague (concussion), but they had a lot of answers — probably more than most were anticipating heading into Tuesday.

Oliver had the big second half, Brandon Mobley (16 points) made all three free throws in overtime with just over a minute to play after being hit on a three point attempt, freshman Jaren Sina made a huge three pointer with just under two minutes left in double OT to make it 74-73 Hall, and sophomore guard Sterling Gibbs may have been the best player on the floor for Kevin Willard’s group, finishing with 15 points and four consecutive free throws in the final 10 seconds of the game.

Email Kevin at kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com

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