Field Level Media
Dec 1, 2021
Al Durham's jumper with 1:48 remaining gave Providence the lead for good, and the Friars beat visiting Texas Tech 72-68 on Wednesday in a Big East/Big 12 Battle matchup.
Providence (7-1) escaped after trailing by 14 points in the first half, taking a eight-point lead in the second then coming up with plays down the stretch.
The Red Raiders (6-1) had the ball with a chance to tie the game or take a lead in the final seconds, but point guard Mylik Wilson was tagged with an offensive foul when he pushed off as he drove the lane looking for a shot.
Alyn Breed iced the win with a pair of free throws with 5.3 seconds to go, the last of the Friars' 28 in 38 attempts.
Durham led Providence with 23 points, and A.J. Reeves contributed 14. Reeves knocked down three 3-pointers, two during a stretch when the game was tied four times.
Terrence Shannon Jr. paced the Red Raiders with 17 points despite battling foul trouble all night. Texas Tech starters Bryson Williams and Kevin McCullar fouled out. Kevin Obanor added 12 points for Texas Tech. He and Shannon combined to hit 11 of 21 field-goal attempts while the rest of the team was 11 of 37.
Shannon buried a 25-foot 3-pointer with one minute remaining to pull Texas Tech within 69-68, but he missed a more contested shot from almost the same spot with 21 seconds to go.
Texas Tech surged to a 27-13 lead in the first half with a 12-0 run. Ed Croswell stopped the drought for Providence for a layup that triggered a 15-3 surge over the last seven minutes of the half that trimmed the deficit to 30-28 at halftime.
The Friars grabbed control with a 10-3 spurt to begin the second half, with the lead swelling to 47-39. The Red Raiders were 1-for-9 from the floor as they lost the lead.
But Texas Tech, in its first true road game this season, stormed back to tie the game on Obanor's 3-pointer with eight minutes left. The visitors regained the lead when Wilson came up with a steal and slam dunk with 7:39 to go.
Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.
--Field Level Media