Post by dex on Feb 26, 2017 11:54:14 GMT -5
PROVIDENCE — As his team kept making one big play after another, and a sellout crowd reached a frenzied pitch, Ed Cooley was noticeably calm on the sideline on Saturday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Providence was in the process of wiping out a 12-point deficit with just 7:20 left against Marquette in a game the Friars just had to have to keep their NCAA Tournament push rolling. With the comeback in full force, the coach stood with a mix of pride and amazement.
“I’m just really proud of our babies, they grew up today,” Cooley said after a 73-69 victory. “There was a point where you’re like a dad and seeing your team grow up right in front of your eyes. At the end of the game I had to gather myself because it was a moment that you dream about for your kids. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Friars fans were reveling in a comeback that seemingly came out of nowhere and in bizarre circumstances. Trailing 64-52, the Friars looked dead. Not only were the Golden Eagles playing much better, but the Friars were slipping and sliding on a floor that was so moist that the referees altered the basic rules of basketball.
The day’s warm temperatures combined with the ice under the court to make for treacherous conditions. Players from both teams were slipping so much that the officials and coaches agreed at the half that any time a player slipped, possession would remain with the team.
“If I would have said call them as travels, we would’ve had six more possessions. But that’s not the good, sporting thing to do. The sporting thing to do is to give the ball back to that team, so that’s what we did,” said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski.
After getting bogged down by the conditions, and watching Marquette gain control of the game behind the shooting of Markus Howard (24 points, six 3-pointers), the Friars finally stood their ground. The result was a 14-1 run to grab a 66-65 lead with 1:34 to play on a Rodney Bullock tip-in. After two Howard free throws, Bullock made two for the lead with 1:01 left.
Sam Hauser hit two free throws to put Marquette back up, 69-68, with 51 seconds to play. Kyron Cartwright drove the lane for the Friars and missed a short shot, but Bullock tipped in the miss for the lead with 19 seconds left.
Needing one defensive stop to complete the comeback, PC forced Marquette’s Katin Reinhardt to miss a jumper with four seconds left. The Friars’ Isaiah Jackson was quickly fouled but he made two freebies.
“My teammates needed me and I tried my best to be a leader and guide my team,” said PC’s Bullock, who scored 11 of his team’s final 21 points. “I know we needed this, and I tried my best to impact the game as much as I could.”
Bullock led the Friars with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Cartwright added 16 points and 8 assists to nail down a win the Friars (18-11, 8-8 Big East) needed.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the group on their mental toughness, not just their physical toughness. If you’re not mentally tough, there’s no way you can win a game like that,” Cooley said.
While PC’s rush to the finish line stole the show, for most of the day it looked like the hazardous conditions would be the game’s dominant theme. While lead official Ed Corbett appeared to be considering pulling the teams off the floor in the first half, neither coach pushed for a stop in play. During one second-half stretch, PC’s Jalen Lindsey, Emmitt Holt and Bullock all slipped and fell.
“Both teams had to play with it and I’m pretty sure both teams struggled with it,” Cooley said. “We agreed at halftime that as long as no one got hurt we’d play through it.”
Both coaches should count their blessings that no one did get hurt. Both teams have NCAA tourney hopes, although if Marquette (17-11, 8-8) falls just short, the Golden Eagles will likely curse their trip to Providence. The Golden Eagles shot 48.1 percent but somehow missed their last eight shots, opening the door for the Friars to rush to the finish line.
“I thought we had some good looks but we just didn’t make them. We had the ball at the basket a number of times,” Wojciechowski said.
“Honestly I thought our crowd won this game,” Cooley said. “We made some big plays and allowed them to cheer for us. The energy in the building was probably as good as any I’ve seen in my 24 years in coaching.”
— kmcnamar@ providencejournal.com On Twitter:
@kevinmcnamara33
Providence was in the process of wiping out a 12-point deficit with just 7:20 left against Marquette in a game the Friars just had to have to keep their NCAA Tournament push rolling. With the comeback in full force, the coach stood with a mix of pride and amazement.
“I’m just really proud of our babies, they grew up today,” Cooley said after a 73-69 victory. “There was a point where you’re like a dad and seeing your team grow up right in front of your eyes. At the end of the game I had to gather myself because it was a moment that you dream about for your kids. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Friars fans were reveling in a comeback that seemingly came out of nowhere and in bizarre circumstances. Trailing 64-52, the Friars looked dead. Not only were the Golden Eagles playing much better, but the Friars were slipping and sliding on a floor that was so moist that the referees altered the basic rules of basketball.
The day’s warm temperatures combined with the ice under the court to make for treacherous conditions. Players from both teams were slipping so much that the officials and coaches agreed at the half that any time a player slipped, possession would remain with the team.
“If I would have said call them as travels, we would’ve had six more possessions. But that’s not the good, sporting thing to do. The sporting thing to do is to give the ball back to that team, so that’s what we did,” said Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski.
After getting bogged down by the conditions, and watching Marquette gain control of the game behind the shooting of Markus Howard (24 points, six 3-pointers), the Friars finally stood their ground. The result was a 14-1 run to grab a 66-65 lead with 1:34 to play on a Rodney Bullock tip-in. After two Howard free throws, Bullock made two for the lead with 1:01 left.
Sam Hauser hit two free throws to put Marquette back up, 69-68, with 51 seconds to play. Kyron Cartwright drove the lane for the Friars and missed a short shot, but Bullock tipped in the miss for the lead with 19 seconds left.
Needing one defensive stop to complete the comeback, PC forced Marquette’s Katin Reinhardt to miss a jumper with four seconds left. The Friars’ Isaiah Jackson was quickly fouled but he made two freebies.
“My teammates needed me and I tried my best to be a leader and guide my team,” said PC’s Bullock, who scored 11 of his team’s final 21 points. “I know we needed this, and I tried my best to impact the game as much as I could.”
Bullock led the Friars with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Cartwright added 16 points and 8 assists to nail down a win the Friars (18-11, 8-8 Big East) needed.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the group on their mental toughness, not just their physical toughness. If you’re not mentally tough, there’s no way you can win a game like that,” Cooley said.
While PC’s rush to the finish line stole the show, for most of the day it looked like the hazardous conditions would be the game’s dominant theme. While lead official Ed Corbett appeared to be considering pulling the teams off the floor in the first half, neither coach pushed for a stop in play. During one second-half stretch, PC’s Jalen Lindsey, Emmitt Holt and Bullock all slipped and fell.
“Both teams had to play with it and I’m pretty sure both teams struggled with it,” Cooley said. “We agreed at halftime that as long as no one got hurt we’d play through it.”
Both coaches should count their blessings that no one did get hurt. Both teams have NCAA tourney hopes, although if Marquette (17-11, 8-8) falls just short, the Golden Eagles will likely curse their trip to Providence. The Golden Eagles shot 48.1 percent but somehow missed their last eight shots, opening the door for the Friars to rush to the finish line.
“I thought we had some good looks but we just didn’t make them. We had the ball at the basket a number of times,” Wojciechowski said.
“Honestly I thought our crowd won this game,” Cooley said. “We made some big plays and allowed them to cheer for us. The energy in the building was probably as good as any I’ve seen in my 24 years in coaching.”
— kmcnamar@ providencejournal.com On Twitter:
@kevinmcnamara33
