NEW YORK — Putting records aside, Butler and Providence produced candidates for Game of the Year in the Big East when both regular-season meetings were decided in double overtime.
Those wins were highlights of disappointing seasons for both schools, and the third encounter is Wednesday when eighth-seeded Butler opposes ninth-seeded Providence in the opening round of the Big East tournament.
“Get ready for a double-overtime game,” embattled Providence coach Kim English said. “I hope we’re healthy. Every game in this league, you’re playing against one of the best coaches in the country.”
The winner will advance to a noon game on Thursday against top-seeded St. John’s.
The teams are meeting in this game for the second straight season. Last year, Butler ended Providence’s season with a 75-69 victory before falling to St. John’s in what became its first 20-loss campaign since 1989-90.
Butler (16-15) opened its conference schedule with a 113-110 victory over Providence on Dec. 13 when Michael Ajayi totaled 28 points and 15 rebounds and Finley Bizjack scored 26.
Both players produced strong offensive showings throughout the campaign, as Bizjack averaged 17.1 points and Ajayi finished his first season in the league at 16.3 and 11.1 rebounds per game. Still, it was not enough as the Bulldogs dropped 11 of their next 14 conference games until ending the season with three wins in their last five, including an 81-71 win at DePaul on Saturday.
Bizjack scored 19 while Ajayi had his 18th double-double with 14 and 11 boards in a game the Bulldogs led by as many as 29 thanks to a 28-6 run to start the second half.
“Michael’s been tremendous,” Butler coach Thad Matta said about Ajayi. “He’s been asked to do a lot of different (things), and it’s made him a better player. There (have) been so many things that we’ve had to go through, and he just keeps playing, keeps going.”
Providence (14-17) is concluding consecutive losing seasons for the first time since three campaigns from 2009-12.
Jaylin Sellers rang up 36 points when Providence earned a 97-87 home win over Butler on Feb. 4 after it lost nine of its first 11 conference games. Sellers averaged a Big East-best 18.1 points during the regular season and has scored at least 20 in seven of his past nine games.
Sellers scored 21 when the regular season ended with an 80-79 loss at Georgetown on Saturday, as the Friars committed a season-worst 22 turnovers. It marked their sixth loss by five points or fewer this season, and the ninth time they allowed opponents to shoot at least 50%.
–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media
