Men’s Basketball Falls to Xavier, 74-73

CINCINNATI, Ohio -The Providence College men's basketball team was defeated by the Xavier Musketeers, 74-73, on Sunday, January 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Friars fall to 7-5 overall and 3-3 in BIG EAST play. Colby Jones hit a three with .1 second left to give the Musketeers the win. It marked the Friars' second consecutive loss in the final second of the game.

"I have to do a good job and our staff has to do a good job of keeping our players focused, motivated, and excited for the next opportunity," Head Coach Ed Cooley said. "The good thing about playing in [the BIG EAST] is that there is another great opportunity ahead of us."

David Duke (Providence, R.I.) finished with a game-high 30 points, including seven made three-pointers on just nine attempts. Nate Watson (Portsmouth, Va.) added a double-double, 17 points and 14 rebounds.

At the 18:49 mark, Duke opened the game for the Friars with a three-point basket. Jimmy Nichols, Jr. (Conway, S.C.) and Duke each added another three-pointer ahead of the first media timeout. Providence held an early 9-7 lead.

With 14:30 remaining in the half, Watson finished an alley-oop dunk on the assist from Nichols. Freshman Alyn Breed (Powder Springs, Ga.) made his first basket of the game at the 13:34 mark. By the next media timeout, the Friars held a two-point advantage, 16-14.

At the 8:01 mark, the Musketeers completed a 13-2 run with a three-pointer by C.J. Wilcher. The Friars used their first timeout of the game. Xavier led 27-20.

With 5:26 remaining in the first half, A.J. Reeves (Roxbury, Mass.) knocked down his second three-pointer in a one-minute stretch. Duke added a two-point jumper with 4:15 left. Entering the final media timeout of the half, the Friars had cut the Xavier lead to 31-29.

The Musketeers led at halftime, 35-34. Providence shot 13-28 (46.4%) from the field, 6-11 (54.5%) from three, and 2-6 (33.3%) from the free throw line. Xavier shot 13-27 (48.1%) from the field, 3-10 (30.0%) from three, and 6-12 (50.0%) from the free throw line.

Watson finished in the paint for the first Friars points of the second half. On the ensuing offensive possession, Duke made his fourth three-pointer of the game. The Friars held a 39-37 lead with 18:21 remaining.

WIth 14:31 left in the game, Greg Gantt (Fayetteville, N.C.) added a three-pointer to get in the scoring column and knot the game at 44. However, the Friars found themselves on a cold streak leading up to the 11:56 media timeout. Providence had made only one of their last seven attempts from the field and had not scored in over two minutes.

Coming out of the timeout, Nichols broke the scoring drought for the Friars with a layup. The teams traded several baskets over the next stretch of the game. With 8:58 remaining, the Friars held a one-point lead, 52-51.

At the 6:04 mark, Duke made a three-pointer. Xavier's Paul Scruggs matched it with a three of his own on the following possession. The Musketeers added two baskets in the paint, including a fastbreak dunk by Zach Freemantle, to extend their lead to five. At the final media timeout, Xavier led 64-59.

With 3:36 left, Duke knocked down his sixth three-pointer to narrow the gap to three. After the teams traded paint scores, the Friars regained the lead on a Reeves' three. The Friars led 67-66.

Duke and Noah Horchler (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) each added another three-pointer. The Friars took their largest lead to that point, 73-66, and were on a 9-0 run. Xavier took a timeout with 1:07 remaining.

After two conversions on offense and two forced turnovers on the defensive end, the Musketeers had cut the Friars' lead back down to two points, 73-71, with 0:16 left in the game. In the final second, Colby Jones made a three to win the game for the Musketeers.

Providence finished 29-56 (51.8%) from the field, 13-22 (59.1%) from three, and 2-6 (33.3%) from the free throw line. Xavier finished 29-60 (48.3%) from the field, 8-23 (34.8%) from three, and 8-16 (50%) from the free throw line. Zach Freemantle led the way for the Musketeers with 17 points and eight rebounds.

There were a total 24 lead changes in the game. Each team finished with two players in double-figures.

"This will make us better," Cooley added.

Up next, the Friars take on the Marquette Golden Eagles on Tuesday, January 12 in Milwaukee, Wis. The game is set for tip-off at 9 p.m. and will be televised on FS1.

-GO FRIARS!-

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Team Stats

David Duke

Nate Watson

A.J. Reeves

Jimmy Nichols, Jr.

Players Mentioned

Alyn Breed

David Duke

Greg Gantt

Noah Horchler

Jimmy Nichols, Jr.

A.J. Reeves

Nate Watson

Players Mentioned

Alyn Breed

David Duke

Greg Gantt

Noah Horchler

Jimmy Nichols, Jr.

A.J. Reeves

Nate Watson

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Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus University of Wisconsin on November 27, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET

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