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Spencer Parlier | krikya18.com | February 23, 2022

No. 11 Providence survives against Xavier in a 3OT thriller

2022 NCAA tournament men's bracket predictions after top-16 reveal

After a wild series of events and three overtimes, No. 11 Providence hung on to beat Xavier Wednesday night. The Friars took down the Musketeers 99-92. 

It wasn't easy for Providence though, as Paul Scruggs was not letting Xavier quit. With just seconds remaining in the second overtime, the Musketeers' star dribbled down the court and nailed a game-tying three as the clock hit zeros. 

Despite the huge shot by Scruggs in the second frame of overtime, it was not enough to take down the current Big East frontrunners — the Providence Friars. They outscored Xavier 11-4 in the third frame of extra time.

Providence had six players score in double-digits on Wednesday night, led by its point guard Jared Bynum. He dropped 27 points, including a clutch three-pointer to give the Friars a commanding 97-92 lead with 32 seconds left on the clock. 

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Providence now improves to 23-3 overall and 13-2 in the Big East with the win. A victory on Saturday against Creighton will clinch the Big East regular-season championship for the Friars. 

Xavier falls to 17-10 and will look to get back on track against Seton Hall this coming Saturday. The Musketeers were a No. 7-seed in Andy Katz's latest bracket predictions. Providence was on the 4-seed line. 

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