RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Providence expected Southern California to focus on stopping either the Big East’s player of the year, or perhaps that league’s top scorer.
Not Rodney Bullock.
So with a critical inbounds pass in the final seconds, the Friars slipped Bullock under the bucket and he hit the shot that kept them in the NCAA Tournament.
Bullock’s layup with 1.5 seconds left helped Providence beat USC 70-69 on Thursday night in the first round.
The reason Bullock was so open was because Big East player of the year Kris Dunn and top scorer Ben Bentil drew so much of the Trojans’ attention.
“Kris is a focal point, Ben’s a focal point and you take advantage of what the defense gives you,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said. “On this stage, to end the game like that, that’s that one shining moment.”
Bentil scored 19 points and Bullock finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to help the ninth-seeded Friars (24-10) earn their first win in the tournament since 1997. They will face top-seeded North Carolina (29-6) on Saturday in the second round of the East Regional.
Jordan McLaughlin had 15 points for eighth-seeded Southern California (21-13), which missed the front ends of two one-and-ones in the final minute.
“We just looked very immature at the end,” guard Julian Jacobs said. “We had the game in our hands, and we just let it fall right through.
Jacobs’ missed free throw with 11.6 seconds set up Providence’s last chance. Dunn missed a jumper with about 5 seconds left and the rebound went out of bounds to the Friars.
Drew Edwards then inbounded the ball to Bullock and he banked in the go-ahead layup.
“I was supposed to curl off of Kris, and both of the defenders went with Kris,” Bullock said. “I was wide open under the basket.”
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