Conference Chasers

#11 Providence Tops Xavier in Triple-OT Epic (99-92, 3OT) to Pull Within 1 Game of 1st Big East Crown

A stunner in Rhode Island! On a busy night of college hoops, one game stole the show. Providence and Xavier danced to the tune of a triple-overtime epic on Wednesday. After play was suspended for more than 20 minutes due to a leak in the roof of Alumni Hall, one of the most exciting games of the NCAA season took shape. The Friars forced overtime at 70-all in regulation. Al Durham’s game-winner attempt at the end of OT1 hit the top of the backboard. In OT2, Providence missed a free throw with six seconds left and a 3-point lead, and Xavier’s Paul Scruggs went the length of the court for a pull-up 3 to force triple overtime. Deep breaths…

Finally, after a near-four-hour marathon, Providence’s Jared Bynum hit a dagger from the logo to seal the win. Bynum had a game-high 27 points off the bench, and the Friars (23-3) walked away with their 13th win in Big East play — the most in program history. Providence is now 14-1 this season in games decided by single digits. They need to win one of their final two games for their first Big East regular-season title in school history, but those two games won’t be easy (Creighton & #8 Villanova).

Watch: Providence Beats Xavier in Triple-Overtime Thriller (99-92, 3OT)

The March to March…

We’re only a few days away from the greatest month in college basketball, and all of sports. Here’s a look at the league leaders for each of the notable conferences with just a few regular season games left. These are the teams likely to be hoisting regular-season conference titles in the coming days.

Conference Leaders (Men’s)

ACC: #7 Duke (14-3) / Notre Dame (13-4)

Big 12: #5 Kansas (12-2)

Big East: #11 Providence (13-2) / #8 Villanova (14-4)

Big Ten: #4 Purdue (13-4) / #13 Wisconsin (13-4) / #15 Illinois (12-4)

Pac-12: #2 Arizona (14-1)

SEC: #3 Auburn (13-2) / #6 Kentucky (12-3)

Conference Leaders (Women’s)

ACC: #3 NC State (16-1) / #4 Louisville (14-2)

Big 12: #5 Baylor (12-3) / #9 Iowa State (12-3)

Big East: #7 UConn (14-1)

Big Ten: #6 Michigan (12-3) / 4 Teams at 12-4

Pac-12: #2 Stanford (14-0)

SEC: #1 South Carolina (13-1)

NCAA Men’s Basketball Highlights

#3 Auburn def. Ole Miss (77-64)

#6 Kentucky def. LSU (71-66)

#7 Duke def. Virginia (65-61)

NCAA Women’s Basketball Highlights

#5 Baylor def. Oklahoma State (65-58)

#7 UConn def. Marquette (69-38)

#9 Iowa State def. Kansas (85-59)

Stay tuned for an influx of college hoops highlights in the coming weeks. You can also refer three friends to The Sportsletter using your unique Team ID in order to receive our Sunday newsletter and get even more March Madness content.

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