Providence couldn’t muster one final run, and so their season ended Wednesday night in Waco, TX in a 77-68 loss to Baylor in the NIT quarterfinals.

After Bryce Cotton connected on a three pointer to give the Friars a 58-56 lead with 9:48 left (his 98th of the season, breaking Billy Donovan’s record from 1987) Baylor locked them down.  Providence made just three field goals from that point, two of which were uncontested layups in the final minute with the game in hand.

The Friars were sound in their execution and resilient in coming back throughout the game’s first 30 minutes. They trailed 21-14 ten minutes into the game, but clawed their way back to a 38-38 tie at halftime after Cotton drilled a three pointer at the midway buzzer.

After Baylor ripped off a 7-0 run out of the locker room to take a 45-38 lead, PC scored 11 of the game’s next 15 points to once again tie things up at the 13:17 mark. Four Friars scored during that span, led by Vincent Council who hit a three and the game tying jumper in what might have been his best effort of the season – 21 points on 8-12 shooting, while grabbing seven rebounds in his last game as a Friar.

PC wasn’t deterred after Baylor scored the next four points, as Kadeem Batts (20 points, 9 rebounds) and Council made consecutive baskets to tie it up once again.

Still, Baylor continued to keep PC at bay, as point guard Pierre Jackson, who torched Providence throughout the night (20 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds), made a three to push the lead back to three before Kris Dunn found Batts for a layup and Cotton hit his record-breaking three to give the Friars the aforementioned 58-56 lead.

Baylor had one more run left in them, and this time Providence couldn’t respond. Jackson scored nine points and dished out three assists over the final 9:45 – a period in which Baylor outscored PC 23-10 to close out the game.

Council, Cotton and Batts scored 64 of Providence’s 68 points on a night in which all three had it going offensively.

After a massive advantage at the free throw line against Robert Morris on Monday night, Providence shot just eight free throws on the night.  Baylor took 26. With the level of talent the Bears feature it would have taken a near perfect offensive game to have defeated them on the road while taking 20 less free throws.

So, Providence’s season ends on a night in which they showed just how good they can be when Batts, Council and Cotton all had it going together, but also on a night which highlighted deficiencies that hampered this group all season.

The Friars had no answer for Baylor’s length at power forward, as Cory Jefferson scored at will in the first half and finished with 26 points on 10-14 attempts.  Very often he simply rose up and got great looks from inside.

Baylor’s bench outscored PC’s 14-0, while the Friars shot just 4-18 from three point range, continuing their up and down performance from long range.

Over the next month Providence will face three questions that will greatly impact the 2013-14 season. Will Kadeem Batts return?  Will Ricardo Ledo come back?  Can they add depth for next season?  The Friars will look to add a guard to their rotation for next season, and they may need help in the front court if Batts decides to turn pro next month.

Those are questions for another day, however. In a season that in many ways was seen as a transitional one, the 2012-13 Providence Friars battled their way through adversity and gave their fan base more excitement in February and March than most had expected as they struggled to find their form in January.

Cotton finished the season a 1st Team All Big East performer, the league’s leading scorer and now PC’s single season record holder for three pointers made.

Batts emerged from a much-maligned and inconsistent forward to the Big East’s most improved player.

Council finished his career the all-time leader in assists in the Big East.

Dunn found his footing while finding his niche as a defensive stopper and LaDontae Henton cleaned the glass, while Josh Fortune was largely responsible for a win at Villanova and Lee Goldbrough and Ted Brancroft carved out roles that few saw for them in October.

It won’t make the flight home any easier for a bunch that threw their best punch at Baylor, but this team, despite some glaring flaws, began a critical step in the rebuilding process: they started to turn the corner.

Expectations will be as high heading into next season as they’ve been in almost a decade.

Friar Basketball caught up with both Ed Cooley and Lee Goldsbrough following the win over Robert Morris in the second round of the NIT, check out their reactions:

Lee Goldsbrough:

Ed Cooley:

In his final game ever in Providence we saw a different Vincent Council. The typically reserved Council motioned to the crowd for noise throughout PC’s 77-68 victory over Robert Morris in the second round of the NIT, and the raucous audience of over 7,000 responded to both his pleas and the effort of his teammates by roaring their way through the game’s final six minutes.

It was in those closing six minutes that Council rewrote the ending to his last game in the Dunkin Donuts Center.  Despite a subpar shooting night from their senior leader, Providence managed to withstand an outside onslaught from Robert Morris (11 made 3s) by dominating the glass (a 43-18 advantage) and by living at the free throw line (31-36 from the stripe, ten of those makes coming from Council), and when they took a seven point advantage with just over seven minutes to play it seemed as though the Friars were set to pull away.

It took Robert Morris just 56 seconds to run off an 8-0 run that suddenly gave them the lead with 6:20 on the clock.  Perhaps emotion had gotten to Council throughout the game’s first 34 minutes, as he’d gone 0-8 from the field to that point, while missing a pair of free throws during the 8-0 RMU spurt.

LaDontae Henton (21 points on 6-7 from the field and 8-8 at the free throw line) and Bryce Cotton (20 points, 3-9 from 3) kept Providence afloat offensively for the game’s first 35 minutes, but Council carried them home.

A pair of Council free throws made it 63-62 Friars with 5:21 left, and with 3:44 remaining and PC leading by just one, Council again got to the line and made the pair.

Then he delivered the back breaker.

Council’s first, and only, made field goal of the night came with just over three minutes to play – a seemingly impossible shot that he rolled over the rim off of a spin move in which he was fouled.  After converting the free throw, Council pushed the lead to five at 69-64 and had suddenly scored seven points in two and a half minutes, making all five free throws he attempted in the process.

Council then sealed it, blowing the roof off of the Dunk in the process, by finding Lee Goldsbrough (6 points, 9 rebounds) for a layup with just over a minute to play to push the advantage to eight.

In career in which he struggled through three losing seasons and fell just short of an NCAA Tournament bid as a senior, Council’s final game in Providence was vaguely reminiscent of Marshon Brooks’ finale – a game in which Brooks hit a game winner against Rutgers before thanking the crowd afterwards.

The experience was far different in another sense though.  This time it wasn’t just the senior thanking the Friar faithful, but the head coach with all of his players huddled at center court.  Ed Cooley enthusiastically closed the door on the Dunkin Donuts Center for this season by lauding the fans for their spirit on Monday, noting it was the type of crowd Providence will need going forward as they continue to build towards winning a national championship.

Sparse crowds can be the norm for high-major programs playing in the NIT, but that wasn’t the case in Providence tonight. It may not be the NCAA Tournament appearance many were hoping for after such a strong February, but the message from the fans was clear throughout a wild second half at the Dunk. Cooley and his players weren’t the only ones who stuck around to say thank you.

And the biggest applause was reserved for Council, the senior point guard that played a trademark game in so many ways: he was nearly impossible to handle off of the dribble, controlled the tempo throughout, handed out 10 assists and was the player of the game on a night in which he made just 1-9 from the field.  He wasn’t always perfect, but Council has been the best pure point guard in Providence since Shammgod.  And tonight he closed his career at the Dunk a winner.

With the win the Friars face a major challenge in the NIT’s 3rd round, as a trip to Waco, TX to play Baylor on Wednesday night awaits them.  It’s a flight that Cooley estimated at 10,000 miles after the game, but said his team would fly to the moon if it meant they can keep playing.

Their ears might still be ringing when board the plane tomorrow morning.

* * *

Notable Quotes from Ed Cooley:

On Lee Goldsbrough: “The last time I checked Lee is taller than Kadeem (Batts). He is just not as thick, but he has a pretty good body from what a lot of girls tell us.  I thought he came in and gave us great minutes today. Really, really good minutes today from his physicality to making timely plays to catching the ball.”

On Council: “Vincent Council just willed us to win. You have those senior moments when you don’t want to lose. Vince willed us to that win with his speed. He can get from rim to rim as quick as anybody. I finally feel like I have a healthy Vincent Council where his hamstring isn’t as sore.”

On the crowd: “I thought about taking that microphone all day. I wanted to thank our crowd. We have had some really good crowds. I’d like to see every seat filled, but part of building your program is building your fan base back up.

I think this is a really tough place to play when the energy is like that. I think the last three and a half minutes of this game – that was actually fun. That was a lot of fun to hear the building shake like that. The players all feed off of that. And you know what? A team will crumble under those circumstances, and I thought that happened today.”

On Kris Dunn’s potential: “I think Kris Dunn, at the end of the day, will become an elite level defender. He has a lot of Andre Iguodala in him. Length. Toughness. I think he will become the defensive player of the year in the Big East in years to come. And he is just a baby, learning how to play. He is something to watch defensively.”

On his team’s growth: “We are not just relying on one or two guys. Everybody that stepped on the floor gave us some really good energy today. That is the fun part of building a team. That is the great part about building chemistry and guys believing in one another. Guys start to feel like they are part of it all the time, not just some of the time. Credit our players. These kids have come a long way, and I mean a long way. Credit to them for staying the course and believing in what we are teaching.

* * *

From Andy Toole on the free throw differential: “Talk about the lopsided free throws. It is hard to beat a team when they make 20 more free throws than you do. I am not going to lie to you, we foul a lot, but we also go to the basket as well. That is a pretty lopsided advantage, but I will go back and review the film. A lot of times I go back and review film and the refs are right, so I’ll keep my comments to myself.”

Story highlights include:

• Shanley’s presence in new Big East
• Dunn’s best game at Providence
• Bancroft playing every minute like it’s his last

It was a long-awaited day in Providence.

Early on Wednesday the Presidents of the new Big East schools gathered in New York City to announce the formation of the 10 team conference, as well as a landmark $500 million television deal with Fox Sports.  Providence College President Father Brian Shanley was masterful both at the morning press conference in New York and in explaining how the deal came to fruition to the local media prior to the game.

As for the game, the Friars won their first non-conference tournament postseason game in 10 years, scoring a 75-66 win against a rugged Charlotte bunch that led by as many as seven early before Providence controlled the second half.  Bryce Cotton played his first game in Providence since being named 1st Team All Big East and certainly looked the part in scoring 25 points on 7-16 shooting from the field and 4-8 from deep.  He’s now just the third Friar in program history to make over 90 three pointers in a season.

The victory would not have been possible if not for the terrific play of freshman guard Kris Dunn, who played his best collegiate game according to head coach Ed Cooley.  It didn’t come without a scare.

Dunn was out of commission for six months following shoulder surgery last summer, and it’s taken him nearly three months to truly look like himself in his first year in black and white.  He’d shown signs of a breakthrough in recent weeks, and was well on his way tonight before he was suddenly hunched over holding his shoulder in pain.  It was enough to take the air out of a surprisingly spry Dunkin Donuts Center crowd.

Fortunately, Dunn returned (with a vengeance) minutes later and finished off the best night of his freshman year.

While Cotton noted after the game that playing this late into the season is new territory for not just the youngsters, but the veterans on the team, the hope of Cooley and his staff is that a strong showing in the NIT will carry into the 2013-14.  Already, the NIT paid dividends for Dunn.

Without this tournament we would not have seen the freshman drop a fat stat line of 14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals.  What’s more, he turned the ball over just once in 34 minutes, while making six of seven shots.

It was an effort that Friar fans had been hoping for all season, and has to be a major confidence boost for the guard that will take over the reigns of this program in seven short months.  Suddenly, the rest of Dunn’s game is catching up to his stellar defense – a huge positive for PC.

Not to be lost in the big nights of Cotton and Dunn was the lift that both Vincent Council and Ted Bancroft provided  in the second half.

Playing in what may have been his last game at the Dunk, Council scored 10 points in a deciding second half in which PC outscored Charlotte 42-30.  With Providence trailing with 11 minutes to play Council scored the game’s next eight points over a 2:30 span to give PC a 54-48 advantage.  When Charlotte scored seven straight to retake the lead two minutes later, Council once again came through, finishing a layup with 6:22 remaining to give PC a lead they would never relinquish.

After the game Cooley was effusive in his praise of Bancroft, the walk-on forward who admitted afterwards that he did not expect to play much this year.  Cooley noted how his energy is infectious amongst his teammates and the home crowd, “Our team really feeds off of him.  Our crowd feeds off of him.  You all feed off of him when Ted is out there doing his thing. I believe in him, I really do. It’s the little things that make a difference. He is a dream for young men out there saying ‘I wish I could make a team.’ He is a scholarship player now earning his keep. I am proud of what he has been able to do for our program.”

Bancroft has found his niche as a spot energy player who seemingly always plays solid defense and makes the little plays that don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet.  When asked about his energy level, Bancroft noted that every time out he thinks this could be the last time he sees the floor.  He certainly plays with that type of urgency when given minutes.  And his on-ball defense has been very good all year.

With the win Providence will host Robert Morris (a team that made national headlines in knocking off Kentucky on Tuesday) in the second round of the NIT.  The time and location of that game will be announced on Thursday.  They’ll play either Sunday or Monday and could play at either the Dunkin Donuts Center or the Ryan Center on Rhode Island’s campus.

“When you get to tournament play it is just about survive and move on,” said Cooley afterwards. “I think we came out not as physical as we wanted to be. We had to adjust to the way the game was being called. I think once we did that we settled down.

“It is the first game we scored 70 points since we played Seton Hall at home. I thought we have had some open shots in our other games and we just not have been able to make them. Today we did. I thought it was a great team effort.”

The win marked the end of a whirlwind day for the program.  Some long-awaited questions were answered today. The Friars got an overdue postseason victory, they appear to have conference stability for the first time in a decade and Kris Dunn showed tonight that the hype is indeed real.

Email Kevin at kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com

Below is the post game press conference following the Providence 61-44 loss to Cincinnati in the second round of the 2013 Big East Tournament.

Video Highlights:

• Future of the Providence College program
• Post season opportunities for PC
•  Thoughts following the loss 

Oliver Hanlan went off for Boston College this afternoon, breaking the ACC tournament record for points by a freshman in scoring 41 in an 84-64 victory over Georgia Tech.  The 41 points were not only the most scored by an ACC freshman, but the most by any player in the conference tournament since 1970.

Hanlan won the ACC Freshman of the Year award, and was one of four New England preps named Freshman of the Year in his conference this season. Nerlens Noel (Tilton) of Kentucky, St. John’s JaKarr Sampson (Brewster) and Xavier’s Semaj Christon (Brewster) were the winners in the SEC, Big East and Atlantic 10, respectively.

Long-time readers of this site will remember Hanlan from his days at New Hampton Prep.  Last season New Hampton was loaded with Hanlan directing a core made up of Notre Dame freshman Zach Auguste (a top-100 player in his own right), 2013 McDonald’s All American Noah Vonleh (#8 in the class of 2013 and headed to Indiana) and top-75 2014 shooting guard Jared Terrell.

It was a team that ended the prep career of Providence’s Ricky Ledo — but it didn’t come without a fight.

Before we delve into Ledo’s tremendous prep finale, it’s worth noting that Ledo had his share of so-so games during his prep career.  What we saw at Mal Brown this past October was often what you’d see from him on the prep circuit — flashes of brilliance mixed in with up and down play at times.  Yet, when the lights were brightest Ledo was typically at his best.

That was certainly the case against New Hampton.

On paper, South Kent appeared to be overmatched in the NEPSAC Quarterfinals last year.  Star guard Chris Thomas left the program mid-year, so Ledo was surrounded by a serviceable core that had limited impact as college freshmen this past season.  Laimonas Chatkevicius is a 6’11 project at South Carolina, Zedric Sadler a five-point-per-game scorer at Rider and Chris Ortiz a two-and-two guy at Kent State. Seven foot Isaac Freeman ended up at Massachusetts, but is another project.

New Hampton came back from a 16 point halftime deficit to eliminate South Kent, 70-69, behind 19 from Auguste, 18 out of Terrell and 11 by Hanlan, but Ledo was spectacular in his last game at the prep level.

He scored 39 points in every way imaginable that afternoon and grabbed 13 rebounds in defeat.

Hanlan has had a terrific first season for Boston College, but it’s hard for those who watched them both the past few years to see the type of season he’s having and not wonder about the impact Ledo could have had this season, or will have if he returns to Providence next year.

Ledo is a big game player on a team that has struggled on the biggest stage in recent seasons.  It’d be fascinating to see how he would deal with the bright lights of New York City if he were to play for the Friars next season.

video courtesy of BallasTV

Just a few short weeks ago Friartown was feasting on a stretch that left the Friars victorious in seven of their last eight games with the NCAA Tournament suddenly within reach. All of that came to a halting stop today as PC fell to Cincinnati 61-44 in the second round of the Big East Tournament.

Looking to bounce back after a disappointing overtime loss to UConn this past Saturday, Ed Cooley’s bunch came out sluggish against a Cincinnati team hungry to strengthen their post season resumé. The Bearcats began the game playing man to man and it was their pressure that both Ed Cooley and Mick Cronin attributed to the horrendous 28% shooting performance by PC. Cooley went so far as to call it “gross” in the post game press conference.

Cincinnati took control of this game and did so early. It took PC 13:56 to finally reach the 10 point mark and at that point, the Bearcats had themselves a 26-11 lead. “Credit Cincinnati’s energy that they came out with, it took us out of some of the things we wanted to do,” said Cooley post game. During that span, Cincinnati stretched the lead to a game high 18 points at the 6:23 mark. Behind a LaDontae Henton layup, Kris Dunn tip-in and two free throws by Kadeem Batts, PC was able to cut the margin to 8 heading into the half.

PC ended the first half shooting 28.1% from the floor which was a result of Batts’ 1-7 shooting, Bryce Cotton’s 3-7 performance and Vincent Council’s 1-6 effort. At times it appeared that the Friars couldn’t toss a grape in the Atlantic Ocean if they tried. The frustration on Ed Cooley’s face was very evident but the strong finish to the half left PC within 8. It was truly a miracle that the deficit was at just 8 points.

Beginning the second half, Cincinnati continued to apply the pressure that was seen in the first half as they pressed PC nearly the entire game. Surprisingly, just 7 turnovers were forced at the hands of the Bearcats. Cronin went on to say “We were just trying to throw body blows and wear them down. We were trying to take their legs, but we are just a better team when we play that way.” Cronin also referenced the loss PC suffered to DePaul on January 5th when the Blue Demons pressed PC nearly the whole game on way to their 83-73 victory.

In the second half, PC was able to cut the lead to 4 following a layup by Bryce Cotton with just over 17 minutes left in the game. Cincinnati was able to extend the lead to 10 shortly there after and PC was never able to get over the hump. Cotton continued to struggle in the second half despite getting a variety of open looks and finished 5 for 17 from the floor including and 0-7 showing from deep. Cooley said after the game, “We had the game right where we wanted it. They scored 60 points. I mean, come on. You’re not going to win many games scoring 60 points”. As valid as that statement is, overcoming the awful start to this contest as well as Cotton’s poor shooting outing, was too much to ask for of this team.

Cincinnati outrebounded the Friars 46 to 40 behind Jaquon Parker’s team leading 10. In addition, Titus Rubles and Sean Kilpatrick both scored in double-figures for the Bearcats. Kadeem Batts led Providence with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Cotton ended the game with 12 points.

Looking ahead, Ed Cooley left the Big East Tournament with strong words for Friar Fans:

“If we don’t play in the NIT, our season is gone. I didn’t come to Providence College to play in another basketball tournament. If the standard is the NCAA, that’s the standard. I think those other tournaments do a great job. I played in one at Fairfield. That’s not where our program is. That’s not downplaying anybody. That’s just my personal opinion. If somebody doesn’t agree with it, that’s just your problem.”

Takeaways from a second look at Providence’s 63-59 overtime loss at Connecticut.

1. Providence has been a team of runs all season, and they got an early one in the second half.  Ed Cooley said he thought his team controlled the second, and they certainly did so over the first 10 minutes.  Keys to the run were Kris Dunn and Kadeem Batts.

Batts took just four shots in the first half, but the Friars found him early.  Dunn assisted on a Batts dunk 13 seconds into the second half, and when Dunn followed by making an open three pointer a six point halftime deficit was down to just one two possessions in.

Connecticut helped offensively by going away from DeAndre Daniels, who had dominated the first half, opting instead to go 1:1 with Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier who were both ineffective early in the second.

Providence went on a 17-7 run over the first eight minutes of the second half, a streak that was capped by a transition Josh Fortune three pointer to make it 43-39 Friars.

2. UConn’s defense stiffened over the next five minutes.  They held PC to just one field goal over that span and seemed primed to take control of the game, going on an 8-3 run to take the lead with under eight minutes to go.  They had the ball with an opportunity to extend that lead, but Dunn came up with a critical steal that he took 65 feet for a dunk on the other end to give PC the lead.

3. Dunn’s dunk was one of only three Providence field goals over the final 10 minutes of regulation.  LaDontae Henton made the other two shots — each was huge.  He knocked down a baseline jumper with about 5:30 left to give Providence a 50-48 lead, and PC trailed 53-50 after going without a point for nearly four minutes before Henton drained a three with 1:57 to play to tie it.

4. In overtime it was the youngsters again stepping up for Providence.  The Friars hadn’t scored for over three minutes of the OT session when Fortune grabbed a Henton miss and laid it home in traffic to make it a two point game with 1:30 left.

The Friars got a stop and nearly had an opportunity to take the lead with under 50 seconds to go when Henton was fouled on a shot near the rim, but it slipped off.  He did come through clutch once again, making both foul shots setting up Ryan Boatright’s dramatic game-winner.

In a frustrating loss, PC’s ability to tie the game in overtime said a lot about the fight in this bunch.  It looked all but over when Connecticut had a pair of free throws that could have pushed it to six with under three minutes left, but they missed both and Providence clawed their way back to a tie before falling late.

Between tying it in overtime and losing a late two point lead in regulation, a painful loss hurt that much more for Friartown.

With a 63-59 overtime loss at Connecticut on Saturday afternoon, Providence wrapped up their regular season with a 9-9 conference record – quite an accomplishment for a team on the verge of a lost season the last time PC and UConn met.  The silver linings can wait for another day, however.  This was an opportunity lost for the Friars.

Depleted, but not without talent, Connecticut played their last game of the 2012-13 season (they are banned from postseason play due to a low academic rate) without four core players, but they did have the best three players on the floor on Saturday afternoon.

Bryce Cotton may have been the league’s leading scorer coming in, Vincent Council the conference’s all-time leader in assists, and Kadeem Batts a matchup nightmare for a thin UConn frontcourt, but it was Ryan Boatright, Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels who were Saturday’s top performers.

Daniels got the Huskies going early, scoring 12 of his 19 points in the first half.  He looked to be a huge matchup problem for the Friars until LaDontae Henton slowed him after halftime.  Still, the 6’8 sophomore finished with a fat 19 point, eight rebound, four block, two steal stat line.  His emergence has been a key development for Connecticut.

Napier and Boatright took turns making big shots late.  Neither shot well from deep (a combined 3-14 from 3), but what they did do was make difficult shots when UConn most needed it.

With Providence ahead by two and under 30 seconds left, Boatright drew a foul on Kris Dunn and proceeded to make both free throws.

On the ensuing possession, Ed Cooley put the ball in the hands of Cotton for a final shot.  With the experienced Cotton, Council and Batts on the floor, the ball was swung to the freshman Dunn with five seconds remaining, who then passed to Henton baseline, his shot getting blocked to keep the game tied.

Napier (16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) kicked off the overtime session with a difficult fadeaway, and Boatright hit the biggest shot of the afternoon – a difficult jump shot on which Cotton was whistled for a foul.  It was a foul that sent Cooley into a tizzy (after the game he said he thought it should have be a non-call, as both players forced contact).

That was the difference between the two teams on Saturday.  While Boatright (23 points), Napier and Daniels were able to overcome a supporting cast that gave them all of five points, PC’s big three could not carry the Friars in this one, despite key contributions from Henton, Dunn and Josh Fortune.

Napier and Boatright both hit extremely difficult shots late, and because of this UConn finished their season with 20 wins (10 in the Big East) and Providence most likely had their NCAA Tournament bubble burst.

Taking a deeper look:

1. Dunn was terrific in his return to Connecticut, scoring 11 points and grabbing four assists.  He was the key to an early 10-2 second-half Friar run that turned a six point UConn halftime lead into a PC advantage.  In the first three minutes of the second, he assisted on a pair of Batts baskets, knocked down a three pointer, made a free throw and converted a layup to make it 36-34 Friars.

Later in the half it appeared as though UConn was taking back control of the game, but Dunn came up with a steal and dunk to give PC a 48-47 lead with under eight minutes to go.

Once he fouled out, the Friars were down their best perimeter defender.  While Dunn bought the up-fake that sent Boatright to the line near the end of regulation, he blocked his shot at the end of regulation when the two met in Providence in late January.  He most likely would have been covering Boatright when he made the tough shot to win it in overtime.

2. For all of the struggles with his shot this year, Henton had three monster scores late.  The first came with the game tied with 5:35 left.  Henton stepped into an 18 footer to give the Friars a two point lead.

A blown defensive assignment led to a Napier three with 3:24 to go, and it looked like lights out for Providence.  PC went a minute and a half without a basket and faced desperation time when Henton swished a three ball to tie it with 1:57 left.  It was shades of a season ago when Henton drilled a pair of three pointers to rally Providence to victory over Connecticut at the Dunk.

In overtime he knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to tie the game with 45 seconds remaining.

Henton was, by far, PC’s best clutch shooter last season and we saw signs of that on Saturday.  He also grabbed double figures in rebounds for the fourth time in five games.

3. Looking for one reason why PC’s offense sputtered?  Connecticut beat them in second chance points, 12-4.  Providence is the top offensive rebounding team in the Big East, but when they aren’t getting second chance baskets their offense struggles.  They had only two second chance points in regulation.

4. Fortune provides a lift. After the game Cooley said he was “50-50″ on whether or not to insert Fortune in on the final possession of regulation.  He opted for Dunn, who turned down a look from deep and got the ball to Henton for the last shot that was blocked.

Fortune scored 10 points, including a three pointer that gave Providence a 43-39 lead and an offensive rebound and layup in the final two minutes of overtime to give the Friars their first score of the extra frame.

He’s been a little quick with the trigger at times this season, but when squared Fortune is a weapon from deep.

5. Cotton made just 1-8 from three point range, but still has a chance to catch Billy Donovan’s PC record for threes in a season.  He’s 10 shy of Donovan with at least one Big East Tournament game to play and potentially additional postseason games after that.

Cotton had a straight-on three pointer that caught the front rim with under 10 seconds to go in overtime.  He was forced to rush the shot a bit, but it would have tied it for the Friars had he connected.

6. Credit UConn for slowing Batts.  He torched the Huskies in Providence, fouling out two men and scoring 20 points, while grabbing nine boards.  This one was more of a struggle.  The junior still finished with a very good stat line of 14 points and 13 rebounds, but nothing came easily for him on Saturday.

7. Providence held Connecticut to 30% shooting in the second half – a half that Cooley thought his team controlled.  UConn only had three bench points and didn’t get a single fast break point.

Cooley said the Friars played hard, but got hurt by mental lapses.  He spoke of missed assignments on free throws and in leaving Napier open late, but finished by saying, “I’m proud of our kids… I thought our kids played their asses off.  We played hard, we played together, but they got the right call at the right time.  Point.  Period.”

Takeaways from a second look at Providence and Seton Hall.

* * *

Vincent Council showed a bit of everything on Senior Night.  Kadeem Batts’ 27 point, 12 rebound night caught headlines, while Council played a vintage Vincent Council game – scoring a bit, rebounding a bit, and passing the ball creatively in his final home game at Providence.

The result was a 13 point, seven assist, six rebound, three steal night for Council.  Ed Cooley said afterwards that the team’s focus was sending the senior out on a high note. He had a pair of pretty plays in the second half of the fast break, with layup resulting from an ankle breaking move and a pretty dish to LaDontae Henton after Council weaved through traffic.

* * *

Batts was a monster, but he wasn’t alone in getting him his 27 points.  Council, Bryce Cotton and Kris Dunn each found him for looks at the rim throughout.  Six of his 10 field goals were layups, four of which came on assists from teammates.  Another basket came after he grabbed an offensive rebound.

When Batts gets those easy looks falling early it seems to then get his medium range game going, as was the case in the second half of this one.  When Batts’s medium range game is on he become a very tough cover.

Cooley lauded Batts’ improvement after the game.

* * *

Seton Hall didn’t give Cotton many looks, but the junior made them pay when he was left open, especially late.  At one point early in the second half Batts drew a double team and found Cotton for a wide open three pointer – the type of inside/out basketball that having a good interior scorer allows for.