New York, NY–Pierre Brooks led Butler with 25 points in a 75-69 victory over Providence in the Big East Conference Tournament on Wednesday.
Butler, the ninth seed, will face top-seeded St. John’s in the first quarterfinal on Thursday.
In addition to Brooks’ scoring, he grabbed seven rebounds for the Bulldogs (14-18). Jahmyl Telfort contributed 16 points and recorded three steals.
Providence (12-20), the No. 8 seed, was led by Bensley Joseph, who scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Oswin Erhunmwunse added a double-double with 16 points, 11 boards, and two blocks, while Ryan Mela chipped in 14 points and six rebounds.
Brooks had 13 points in the first half, helping Butler lead 39-31 at halftime. The Bulldogs expanded a six-point advantage early in the second half into a 13-point lead, fueled by a 7-0 run that made it 58-45 with 9:50 remaining. Brooks scored 12 points in the second half to help seal the win.
Key Highlights:
- The two teams split their regular-season matchups, with Providence winning 84-65 in Providence on January 8 and Butler edging the Friars 82-81 in Indianapolis on February 8.
- Butler advances to play No. 1 seed St. John’s in the quarterfinals at noon ET on Thursday. The Bulldogs lost both regular-season meetings to the Red Storm by an average of seven points.
Butler’s Key Stats:
- Butler improved to 14-5 this season when leading at halftime and 8-1 when holding opponents under 70 points.
- Telfort has now scored in double figures in four straight games, tying or leading the team in points.
- Brooks’ 25 points marked his 26th double-digit scoring game of the season and his ninth game with at least 20 points.
- With the win, Butler snapped a three-game losing streak in the Big East Tournament and secured Thad Matta’s first tournament victory as head coach.
Providence’s Key Stats:
- Providence now holds a 3-1 all-time record against Butler in the Big East Tournament.
- Bensley Joseph’s 20-point performance pushed him over the 1,000-point career milestone.
- The Friars fell to 0-5 in neutral-site games this season.
- Providence set a Big East Tournament record with 53 rebounds in the loss, surpassing their previous tournament best of 49 rebounds in games against St. John’s in 2014 and 2015.
- The Friars struggled at the free-throw line, making only three of their 10 attempts, tying their program low for free throws made in a Big East Tournament game. They also made three in a win over Butler in the 2016 Tournament.
This victory for Butler marks an important milestone as they continue their journey in the tournament.
