Providence Pulls Away Late, Beats Robert Morris in NIT
Senior guard Vincent Council scored seven of his twelve points in the final six minutes of the game to lead the Friars past the Colonials 77-68 Monday night.
“[Council willed] us to win,” coach Ed Cooley said after the game. “Your seniors carry you.”
Council carried the Friars indeed as he drained several important free throws to keep the Colonials from coming back late in the game. Council scored twelve points and remained on the court for the full forty.
LaDontae Henton led the Friars with 21 points while this season’s BIG EAST scoring leader Bryce Cotton chipped in 20. Forward Lee Goldsbrough added nine rebounds, including several important boards in the final three minutes.
“That’s just my role, that’s what I do,” Goldsbrough said. “It was just great, I don’t know how else to describe it. It was unbelievable.”
Providence came out slow in the first half, falling behind 9-2 before finally getting going on offense. After scoring seven straight to tie it up, the Friars defense couldn’t stop the Colonials from making threes. Robert Morris put up eleven threes in the contest.
“That was the best three point shooting team we played all year,” Cooley said. “It’s tough to overcome that.”
With a Cotton buzzer-beater knotting the score up at 34 before the half, the Friars opened the second on an 8-0 run. Colonials guard Karvel Anderson led his team back though as Robert Morris was able to take the lead with thirteen left to play. From that point on, it was all Friars as the Colonials found themselves quickly in foul trouble.
“It’s hard to beat a team when they make twenty more free throws then you do,” coach Andrew Toole brought up after the game. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to make enough winning plays down the stretch.”
Anderson led the Colonials with eighteen points (4-7 from three) while forward Russell Johnson added sixteen points and five steals.
Robert Morris defeated defending NCAA champion Kentucky in round one of the NIT.
The Friars will face Baylor in the tournament quarterfinals Wednesday night.
Designated for Assignment 