No. 11 Providence hangs on against Xavier after triple-OT thriller

Providence was willing to do whatever it took — and however long it took — to win on Wednesday.

The 11th-ranked Friars held off Xavier to escape with a 99-92 win, battling their way through three overtimes in what instantly was one of the best college basketball games of the year.

The teams fought at an even pace in the first half, exchanging body blows and entering halftime tied at 36-36. Xavier jumped out quicker in the second half, opening with a six-point swing, but Providence answered with seven straight points of its own to take a 43-42 lead.

Xavier carried a lead for much of the rest of the second half, but with two minutes left to play, the game was tied at 66-66. It was 68-68 a minute later, but with 48 seconds to play, Zach Freemantle hit a layup to claim the lead for the Musketeers.

Coming out of a timeout, the Friars got the ball to Al Durham, and he answered — Durham knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 70 apiece. Xavier couldn't get the last shot to land, and the game was headed to overtime.

The game was far from over, though. Xavier scored the first five points of the first extra period, but Providence responded with five of its own. Both offenses went quiet over the last minute-plus, with neither team scoring as the game went to another overtime.

The end of the second extra frame was much more chaotic. With 30 seconds left to go, Providence led 82-81. Alyn Breed went to the line and knocked down both free throws, putting them up three, but Paul Scruggs hit a jumper the next time down to cut it to one. With the shot clock turned off Xavier fouled, and Breed hit them both to make it a three-point game again.

Leading by three, Providence elected to foul. Scruggs went to the stripe and hit them both, then Xavier fouled. Nate Watson hit one free throw and missed the second, but Providence got the board and Xavier fouled again.

Breed hit the first but clunked the second one off the rim, and Scruggs pulled in the rebound. It looked like Providence tried to foul, but Scruggs was able to run the length of the floor and hoist up a three looking for the tie. It found the bottom of the net.