Bynum scores 25, Providence beats DePaul 76-73 in OT

Updated Feb. 12, 2022 10:56 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Jared Bynum scored 25 points off the bench and Al Durham and Nate Watson finished with 16 points apiece as No. 11 Providence held on for a 76-73 overtime win over DePaul on Saturday.

Durham went 12 for 12 at the free-throw line as the Big East-leading Friars (21-2, 11-1 Big East) won their eighth straight game.

DePaul’s David Jones finished with a team-high 19 points.

In the final stretch of regulation, Durham fed Watson for a slam dunk that tied it at 60-all with 1:34 left. At the line with a chance to put his team up for the first time since the game’s opening minutes, Watson drained a pair of free throws with 44.7 seconds left.

DePaul (12-11, 3-10) only scored one basket over the final 5:12 of the second half, but it was a timely one. Nick Ongenda hit a game-tying turnaround jumper with 20.3 seconds remaining to force the overtime.

Providence built a 68-64 lead in the extra period, but it was down to a three-point game inside the final minute. Four three throws from Durham inside the final 10 seconds helped seal the victory.

The Blue Demons jumped to a 22-13 lead on the strength of a pair of 3-pointers by Courvoisier McCauley. Providence countered with a 10-2 surge with four different players scoring. The Friars moved within two points a few times, but DePaul led 28-24 at halftime.

DePaul threatened to pull away after opening the second half on an 11-2 run that boosted the lead to 39-26. Bynum responded with a pair of 3-pointers, but DePaul was still up 58-54 with 2:31 remaining.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Providence played only one game this week but should be in strong shape to move inside the AP’s Top 10 for the first time since 2016.

STILL SIDELINED

DePaul’s leading scorer missed his seventh straight game as guard Javon Freeman-Liberty remains out with a groin injury. A two-time Big East player of the week, Freeman-Liberty is averaging 21 points per game.

UP NEXT

DePaul returns home to host Butler Tuesday.

Providence hosts Villanova on Tuesday in the first meeting of the season between the teams.

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