Friar Basketball

Cotton’s Top 10 Games: #7 Turning it Around at Butler

ButlerCotton

Friarbasketball.com takes a look back at the top ten games of Bryce Cotton’s senior season.

Game: February 23 at Butler

Cotton was at his most efficient when the Friars took to the road to play Butler. The five games prior to this one looked to be a huge blow to PC’s tournament chances, as they’d lost three in a row before hammering DePaul at home and then falling in a heart-breaking double overtime loss to Villanova.

Providence’s star senior played the entire 50 minutes in the Nova loss, and the Friars were staggered heading to Indy, but Cotton put on a show against Butler in making 8-12 from the field, 5-7 beyond the arc and all seven of his free throws on his way to 28 points. He also dished out six assists and picked up the only technical this writer can remember him getting in a second half that turned chippy when Alex Barlow got physical with Cotton.

Kadeem Batts had Cotton’s back though.
Cotton Butler Pick on Make A Gif

Cotton was particularly effective in the first half, scoring 11 straight points during one stretch (a layup and three 3s), as the Friars raced out to a 46-33 lead at halftime. PC’s edge was gone by the 16:30 mark of the second half, and Butler took the lead three minutes later. That’s when Cotton willed PC to victory, as Ed Cooley said afterwards. He scored three straight baskets that either tied the game or gave PC the lead when things were heading south:

  • Down 52-50 with just over 13 minutes to play, Cotton made a layup to tie the game 20 seconds after the Bulldogs took their first second half lead.
  • PC trailed by a point on their next possession before Cotton connected on another 3 to make it 55-53.
  • A minute and a half later, Cotton made a layup to give PC a 59-58 advantage.

Providence’s next basket came on a Cotton assist to give them a lead once more, and then he found Tyler Harris for a layup to push the advantage to three.

With the Friars up three with 6:45, left Cotton made his fifth 3, and then he put the game away late with seven free throws in the game’s final two minutes (three coming off of a three point attempt with 1:26 remaining).

Having lost four of five coming in, and blowing a 13 point halftime advantage in under five minutes on the road, PC’s season was truly on the brink, but Cotton and the Friars would not be denied. They improved to 18-10 on the season, 8-7 in the Big East, and avoided a loss to a last place team that would have all but forced them to win the Big East Tournament if they wanted to dance.

It was the sixth time Cotton scored at least 28 points this season.

Email: kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com

Twitter: Kevin_Farrahar

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