Seniors lead Butler to one-point win over Providence

Butler seniors Jahmyl Telfort, Pierre Brooks II and Patrick McCaffrey combined for 53 points as the Bulldogs posted a second straight Big East victory, 82-81, over Providence on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Telfort led Butler (11-13, 4-9) with 24 points, connecting on 9 of 17 shots. Brooks added 18 points, while McCaffrey made 3 of 4 3-point attempts and finished with 11 points. Finley Bizjack also drained 3 of 4 long-range attempts on his way to 15 points.

Bensely Joseph netted 26 points to pace Providence (11-13, 5-8), which also got a career-high 23 points from Rich Barron. Corey Floyd, Jr. notched 17 points and six assists, and Jayden Pierre tallied 11 points and eight assists.

The Friars were short-handed Saturday, with Wesley Cardet Jr. (leg) sitting out along with Bryce Hopkins and Jabri Abdur-Rahim after both recently suffered season-ending injuries.

Providence hung around with sharp 3-point shooting, knocking down a season-high 16 treys on 32 attempts. Barron made 7 of 9 and Joseph hit 5 of 9.

With a 13-point Bulldog lead trimmed to 79-78 and 1:59 remaining, Telfort drove to the basket and was bumped and fouled just as Oswin Erhunmwunse skied to catch his shot attempt. A goaltending call on the play was reviewed at length, but ultimately confirmed, and Telfort turned the break into a key three-point play.

The Friars used a Barron 3-pointer to pull within 82-81, and Telfort's missed free throw gave Providence a chance to win, but Joseph's 3-point attempt at the buzzer came up wide of the rim.

Both teams shot 30-of-60 overall. Butler made six fewer 3-pointers than the Friars but hit seven more free throws.

The Bulldogs engineered a 12-3 run out of halftime, getting all the points from Telfort and Brooks, to build a 53-42 lead with 17:26 remaining. Butler built its lead to 13 before Providence rallied to pull even at 76 with 3:47 to go.

The Bulldogs have a light week coming up, as they won't play again until Georgetown visits next Saturday. Providence will host Xavier on Wednesday.