Field Level Media
Feb 1, 2020
Luwane Pipkins had a season-high 22 points off the bench, and he made six free throws in the final 27.7 seconds to lift Providence to a 65-61 upset victory over No. 16 Butler in a Big East game at Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon.
Pipkins tied a season high with four 3-pointers and David Duke had 10 points and four rebounds for the Friars (12-10, 5-4 Big East), who broke a three-game losing streak while beating a ranked team for the first time in five tries this season.
Kamar Baldwin had 12 of his 14 points in the second half, and Jordan Tucker, Bryce Nze and Bryce Golden had 12 points apiece for the balanced Bulldogs (17-5, 5-4), who were the third ranked Big East team to fall Saturday after No. 8 Villanova and No. 10 Seton Hall were beaten earlier in the day.
Pipkins, who started the first 19 games this season before coming off the bench in the last three, made all 10 of his free throw attempts and has made 47 of 48 free throws this season, 97.9 percent.
Butler led only once in the second half, on Nze's dunk with 12 minutes remaining, but got within one at 61-60 when Nze scored on a tip-in after a Providence turnover with 17.9 seconds remaining.
Pipkins made two free throws with 14.4 seconds left for a 63-60 lead, and the Friars fouled Baldwin with 8.8 seconds remaining before he could attempt a 3-pointer. Baldwin made the second of two free throws before Pipkins was fouled and made his last two free throws for the final margin.
The Bulldogs, who have lost four of their past six games, shot 40 percent from the field, and Baldwin was 4 of 15, missing all five of his 3-point attempts. Butler was 1 of 14 from 3-point range. It had made at least five 3s in every previous game but one this season. Bulldogs point guard Aaron Thompson missed his third straight game with a left wrist injury.
Providence shot 40.4 percent from the field. Senior guard Alpha Diallo, the Friars' leading scorer at 13.3 points a game, did not start and had three points in 25 minutes. He had started the previous 77 straight games dating to Dec. 20, 2017.
--Field Level Media