If we know one thing about the Friars through 3 games into Big East play is that they have a flare for the dramatic. The Friars, down 3, were 16 seconds away from starting 1-2 in conference and Ed Cooley drew up a play for who else, AJ Reeves. Reeves is making a habit of knocking down clutch shots for PC and Friartown isn’t complaining.
In the overtime Reeves continued his clutch ways by hitting some threes and had a critical strip of Charlie Moore to send the game to a second OT. In the second overtime the Friars leaned on Duke and Watson and were able to score the 95-90 victory.
BOC’s Takeaways
1. The three by Reeves will get all the accolades, and rightfully so, but his defensive plays secured the win for Providence. Reeves had a strip and steal that led to an easy bucket on a breakaway. His defensive play against Charlie Moore, where Moore had an easy lane to the bucket, saved the Friars from defeat. His length caused him to poke the ball away and bring the game into the second overtime. Friartown has been critical of Reeves this year, but he won the game for Providence today. Hat tip to AJ.
2. Balanced scoring is a refreshing change of pace. Duke and Watson continued their terrific season, scoring 24 and 18, respectively. However, it was the contributions from the other starters that stood out. The other starters poured in 38 points, with Reeves leading the way with 22.
3. Defense still a work in progress. DePaul scored 90 points on 48.7% from the field and 41.7% from 3. It is great to get a W, but Providence needs to tighten it up on the defensive end if they want to be a formidable contender in the Big East.
4. DePaul may surprise in the Big East. I walked away from the Butler game thinking Providence just lost to a bottom tier team in the Big East. We’ll see how that plays out. After this game, I believe DePaul can finish in the 7-10 range of the Big East. They have veteran leadership in Charlie Moore, a blossoming star in Romeo Weems, and above average rotational pieces in Freeman-Liberty and Paulicap. Although it is DePaul, this team has a chance to steal more than their fare share of wins in the Big East.
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