The last two games between Providence and Xavier at the Cintas Center came down to the final shot. This one turned out the same way except that same shot at the buzzer didn’t fall. It didn’t seem like it was a possibility when the Friars trailed 33-19 twelve minutes into the first half. However, the Friars showed tremendous resilience and fight to get back into what was an absolute war of game.
The game saw 17+ lead changes in the second half alone as the Friars and Musketeers exchanged punch after punch. Adam Kunkle hit a go ahead three pointer late in the second half only for Jared Bynum to connect on the equalizer from distance (the bank is open). The Friars would then get a chance to win in the extra frame off a Souley Boum missed free throw only to see Bynum’s look go in and out at the buzzer.
For the Friars, it’s their first loss in overtime since 2019 and their first loss in a tight game in seemingly forever? Let’s dig into how it went down.