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Cotton’s Top 10 Games: 2 OT Winner at SJU

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

Game: January 16 at St. John’s.

Why it is #3: It wasn’t quite a “must win” just yet, but the Friars were coming off of a much-needed home victory over Georgetown after dropping three straight games (a pair of OT losses to UMass and Seton Hall and the beating at Villanova) when they traveled to Jamaica, NY to take on St. John’s.

The Johnnies were even more desperate. A team many picked to win the Big East at the beginning of the season had gotten off to a terrible start — 0-4 in conference play. They were bound to pull it together (which they eventually did) and the fear in Providence was that it would begin on this night and drop the Friars to 1-3 in conference games.

Thanks to a late game tie-up and clutch shooting from Bryce Cotton, that didn’t happen.

Cotton had a fully matured game as a senior. Earlier in his career he would have been a non-factor in a game in which he’d made just 1-8 from 3 and 6-19 fro the field, but by the second semester of his final year he was contributing in every way.

On this night it came in the form of nine boards, eight assists, 10 free throw attempts, three monstrous late plays, and 50 more minutes played.

PC was getting all too used to overtime games, having lost in double OT to close out the out of conference portion of the schedule, and they fell in two more overtime sessions in their Big East opener against Seton Hall. Cotton wouldn’t let them lose this time though, as they squeaked out an 84-83 victory in double overtime.

Both LaDontae Henton and Kadeem Batts finished with 17/9 nights, but Cotton’s three big plays late were the difference.

1. Trailing by three with two minutes left in the first overtime, Cotton made a difficult baseline pull-up, which he followed with a free throw 30 seconds later to tie the game.

2. Providence trailed by 3 with under 30 seconds left in overtime when Tyler Harris made two free throws to make it 83-82. During a timeout, Ed Cooley implored his players not to foul, but to trap and tie up the ball handler. St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin brought in his best free throw shooter (but perhaps worst perimeter ball handler) Max Hooper, who cradled the ball expecting to be fouled, only to be tied up by Cotton.

Possession went to the Friars, setting up a chance for them to take the lead. The tie up strategy was one Cooley and Cotton combined on during the home finale against Marquette as well. It worked then (another double OT win) — leading to a pair of Cotton free throws to win it in the final 10 seconds.

It’s quite possible these two jump ball situations were the difference between two wins this season.

3. Then Cotton did what he does. Down a point, he held the ball until there were roughly 10 seconds to go, used a hesitation dribble to get near the paint and lofted in a bank shot while getting fouled to give Providence the lead, 84-83.

St. John’s missed a layup at the horn and Providence had the win they so desperately needed.

Cotton’s final stat line: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 50 minutes played, one game winning shot.

Cotton SJU Winner on Make A Gif

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