Jordan Hawkins scored a game-high 19 points and the No. 4 seed UConn Huskies defeated the No.5 seed Providence Friars 73-66 in the quarterfinal round Thursday.
UConn advances to their third straight Big East semifinal round and will face the top seeded Marquette Golden Eagles tonight. On facing Marquette, Andre Jackson, Jr said, “we know what they bring to the table, we know what we bring to the table. It’s all about out there and really doing it when it’s time to do it.”
UConn started the game strong with a 57.7 FG% in the first half and was up by 16 at halftime.
UConn led 58-32 with 12:31 left in the game, but Providence rallied with a 51.6 FG% in the second half and was able to cut the deficit down to five on several occasions in the final minutes of regulation. Providence’s Noah Locke converted a three with 48 seconds left to play that made the score 66-71, but UConn’s Tristen Newton subsequently made two consecutive free throws and Providence was unable to make its next two three-point attempts, securing the win for the Huskies.
Providence’s Bryce Hopkins and Noah Locke led the Friars with 16 and 14 points, respectively, in the losing effort.
Despite the loss, Providence, who finished the season with a 21-11 record, is likely to earn an at-large bid for the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
