Providence basketball defeats Georgetown and spoils Ed Cooley's return, but it wasn't easy
PROVIDENCE — Winning time arrived on Saturday afternoon and Devin Carter, as he has done all season, stepped to the forefront.
Providence looked in real danger of losing Ed Cooley’s emotionally charged homecoming until a guard he recruited out of the transfer portal saved the Friars from the unthinkable.
Carter’s deep 3-pointer from the left wing was the spark in a late run, one that erased Georgetown’s final lead of the afternoon. Providence surged to an 84-76 victory over the Hoyas, a triumph that denied Cooley an upset in his professional return to his home city.
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Carter followed his clutch jumper with a steal and layup on the fast break. Jay Heath Jr. was charged with a flagrant foul, and the Friars eventually capped a six-point possession with two free throws apiece by Carter and Josh Oduro. What was a 69-66 deficit suddenly transformed into a 77-69 advantage, and Providence had enough of a cushion to hang on over the final 1:23.
“I don’t think there was any extra motivation,” Carter said. “I go into every game thinking it’s another college, Big East basketball game. I just go off our gameplan, execute to the best and the results show.”
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Carter netted 11 of his game-high 29 points over the final 1:53, the latest virtuoso performance in his junior season. He was a steady starter and defensive leader with the Friars after arriving from South Carolina in 2022-23. Improved shooting across the board — 10-for-14 from the field in this one, including a pair of makes from deep — has unlocked a different dimension to his game.
“To be a leader you have to bring it every day,” Providence coach Kim English said. “He's done it in practice. It translates to games. Nothing surprises me with him anymore.”
Providence seemed to have this one under control midway through the second half. The Friars opened their largest lead at 56-44 on a conventional three-point play by Carter. His drive to the hoop and following free throw with 12:35 left had the capacity crowd of 12,580 fans on its feet.
The Hoyas responded with a determined 14-2 run, tying it with 6:53 to play on a Rowan Brumbaugh drive down the right. Heath’s 3-pointer from the right wing was part of a 5-for-6 stretch from the field, as the visitors found their touch into the final minutes.
Georgetown wasn’t content with just pulling even. The Hoyas eventually edged ahead when Jayden Epps connected from 3-point range to snap a 66-66 tie. That boosted the visitors to a 24-8 advantage in points off turnovers, as Providence gave it away 10 times in the second half and 16 in the game.
“We’re growing,” Cooley said. “We’re learning how to compete. And right now we’re just not there.”
The Friars hadn’t trailed since the midpoint of the first half. Dontrez Styles knocked down a transition 3-pointer from the right corner off a pretty extra pass by Heath, making it a 22-20 game. Providence hit back with a 10-0 run and settled for a 37-33 lead into the break, nosing in front of the coach who led its program over the last 12 seasons.
"This game obviously meant a lot – I still don’t think they’d want us to go 1-29 or 1-30," English said. "It was a game we needed outside of all the extracurriculars, all the fan stuff."
That’s three straight wins for the Friars (14-6, 5-4 Big East) after a four-game losing streak, and their NCAA Tournament hopes are alive and well. Oduro added 22 points while Ticket Gaines made it three in double figures with 14. Providence shot 57.1% from the field and was 23-for-27 from the line.
“Fighting through adversity, seeing the way we all respond individually and as a team — I’m proud of the way we came together and continue to learn how to fight in games,” Oduro said. “That’s something I look for from our team as a collective.”
Epps finished with 26 points for Georgetown (8-12, 1-8), but he was just 9-for-27 from the field. Ismael Massoud added 16 points on 4-for-8 shooting from 3-point range and Supreme Cook chipped in 15 points before fouling out.
“One of the hardest places in America to play — in this building,” Cooley said. “Trust me. I know.”
On X: @BillKoch25
GEORGETOWN (76): Cook 7-10 1-5 15, Bristol 1-4 2-2 4, Epps 9-27 5-5 26, Heath 2-4 0-0 5, Styles 1-5 1-2 4, Massoud 5-10 2-2 16, Brumbaugh 1-1 2-2 4, Fielder 1-1 0-0 2, Mutombo 0-0 0-0 0; totals 27-62 13-18 76. PROVIDENCE (84): Oduro 8-10 6-7 22, Carter 10-14 7-9 29, Floyd 1-2 0-0 3, Gaines 4-10 5-5 14, Pierre 3-7 3-4 9, Dual 0-3 0-0 0, Barron 1-1 0-0 3, Castro 1-2 2-2 4; totals 28-49 23-27 84.
Halftime — Providence 37-33. 3-point goals — Georgetown 9-26 (Massoud 4-8, Epps 3-13, Heath 1-2, Styles 1-2, Bristol 0-1), Providence 5-19 (Carter 2-5, Barron 1-1, Floyd 1-2, Gaines 1-6, Dual 0-2, Pierre 0-3). Fouled out — Cook. Rebounds — Georgetown 23 (Massoud 7), Providence 26 (Gaines 7). Assists — Georgetown 12 (Epps 6), Providence 14 (Gaines 4). Total fouls — Georgetown 23, Providence 17. Records — Georgetown 8-12, Providence 14-6. A — 12,580.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ed Cooley's Hoyas nearly pull an upset over the Friars
