Senior forward Pierre Brooks led Butler in points and rebounds against Providence. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics.

SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu 

Butler picked up a wire-to-wire win in the opening game of the Big East Tournament, downing Providence 75-69. This was the Dawgs’ first win in a conference tournament game since 2022.

The Bulldogs played with confidence and aggression in the first half. They sought to attack the paint early and often, seeing success as a result. Senior forward Pierre Brooks II and fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort were deadlocked with a game-high 13 points apiece at halftime, and finished as Butler’s leading scorers. Brooks led all players with 25 total points.

The second half was more of the same, as Butler looked smooth and connected as a team. The game was reminiscent of the Dawgs’ upset win against Mississippi State in the Arizona Tip-Off, only Butler did not have the benefit of shooting better than 50% from deep against the Friars. Instead, the Bulldogs relied on well-run offensive sets and consistent mid-range and interior scoring to lift them past Providence.

Brooks credited Butler’s movement for their offensive success.

“[We were] getting everybody involved, not letting anyone off the hook,” Brooks said. “Just trying to keep the bigs engaged, keep the guards engaged, and coming off screens. We were able to get to the paint and convert.”

While the final score was not remarkable, the Dawgs shot the ball very efficiently, with their point total only hindered by a relatively slow-paced game. Part of the pace was due to Butler taking care of the basketball, turning the ball over just six times.

Despite not giving the ball away often, Butler still allowed Providence to have plenty of extra possessions by way of the glass. The Friars outrebounded the Bulldogs 53-29, including a stunning 25-7 advantage on offensive rebounds.

However, Providence head coach Kim English did not see the rebounding discrepancy as such a big advantage for his squad.

“We didn’t make many shots,” English said. “So [there were] a lot of rebounds to be had. On the flip side, [there weren’t] many offensive rebounds for them to have because they were making them.”

No matter the cause for the rebounding difference, Butler kept its composure even when Providence was consistently able to put up multiple shots on each possession. Brooks felt that the Bulldogs’ experience paid off in that regard.

“We’ve been going against runs all year,” Brooks said. “We have an older team, so I feel like we should be able to withstand those runs. Today, we showed that we can withstand that run and push back when we need to.”

Butler’s mettle will be put to the test, with a second-round matchup against host St. John’s on March 13 looming.