Friar Basketball

Providence/Marquette Classics at the Dunk

BattsMarquette

Since Ed Cooley took over at Providence, the Friars and Marquette have generally played terrific games, both at the Dunkin Donuts Center and in Milwaukee.

The Dunk has been home to some classics between these two programs, including three Friars playing 48+ minutes in a double overtime, 81-80, win on Senior Night in 2014. Bryce Cotton stood tall after playing 50 minutes on that night, finishing with 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds. He made the game winning free throws in the closing seconds. That win kept Providence’s narrow NCAA tournament chances alive, and gave PC its first ever win over the soon-to-be-departing Buzz Williams.

Two years later, Providence welcomed Marquette to the Dunk boasting a 14-1 record and a #8 national ranking. The Friars’ only loss to that point came to #3 Michigan State. Despite 28 points (22 in the second half) from breakout sophomore Ben Bentil, and 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and five steals from Kris Dunn, the Golden Eagles (featuring star freshman Henry Ellenson), pulled off a 65-64 upset.

 

Not many games could top the 2014 PC/Marquette epic, but 2017 came close. The Friars, once left for dead at 4-8 in the Big East with six games to play, were suddenly riding a three game winning streak with a chance to even their conference record with a win over Marquette. Big East bottom feeders St. John’s and DePaul awaited the Friars in the final two games of the season, so all of Friartown realized that a win over the Golden Eagles could make the impossible a reality.

Marquette led by 12 with under seven minutes to play, but PC went on a furious 14-1 run and pulled the game out late. This one was marred by slippy floor conditions, as the ice from below the court melted through, and left players from both teams sliding everywhere. The referees decided to play on, not call traveling, and essentially let chaos ensue — and that’s what we got. Rodney Bullock made a pair of huge baskets late as the Saturday afternoon crowd roared as loudly as any has over the past decade at the Dunk.

In 2018, the Dunk saw a record breaking performance from Marquette sophomore Markus Howard. Howard tied Marshon Brooks’ Big East single game scoring record, with 52 points on 11 made 3-pointers, as Marquette won 95-90 in overtime. Kyron Cartwright filled the scoring void left behind by Rodney Bullock’s absence with 29 points, but Howard was simply too much on that night.

 

2 Comments

  1. Derec Lamendola

    February 21, 2020 at 10:52 am

    Providence College Mens Basketball will be jaming tonnerrrow and providrnce college Mens Basketball needs to get reday for tonmmerrow and we need that hi away Jaming tonnerrow and so i wont providence College Mens Basketball needs to get reday for saturday and derec Lamendola is going to talk about the big east Conference tournament and we Might get the ftist round in the big east so lets get reday and. Be reday and providence College Mens Basketball needs to get reday

    Providence College Mens Basketball needs to get pumt up i wont derec Lamendola go in the providence College Mens Basketball locker room tonnnerrrow get the team all fried up and derec Lamendola is not going to New York this year i got stuff to do and for the big east tournament i wont Every one to Stsy hear rohde Island in Providence citty in providnece

    Providence College Mens derec Lamendola is going to be sad and i jus dont wont providnece College Mens Basketball to be over and becusee i jus wont win All the away and come on Now get going and big East tournament and derec Lamendola needs to in that locker room tonnerrrow and get reday

    Providence College Mens Basketball needs to have Derec Lamendola in the team locker Roon tonnerrrow and we are Lefving Erle Tonnerrow and i wont find out for that big east tournament so sownds good see you All Thery tonnerrrow and i wont Ed Coooley win Nether BIG East Championship this year i wont the Providence College Mens Show NBC 10 News NBC 12 News Channel 6 News see you All tonmerrow

  2. Happy to see BC toil in obscurity

    February 21, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    See you there Derec!

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