The Friars and Jays clash for a berth in the Big East Tournament finals.
The Big East Tournament marches on. We now know two of the four teams who’ll play in the semifinals Friday.
The top-seeded Providence Friars defeated the Butler Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. In yet another Providence thriller, the Friars outlasted the Bulldogs in a 65-61 victory. Creighton on the other hand defeated Marquette 74-63 in the second game of the day. The game had little interruption for the Jays, who remain red-hot right now, as they’ve lost just three times since February 1.
This marks the fourth time Providence and Creighton have met in the Big East Tournament. The all-time series leans to the Friars, who’ve defeated the Bluejays in two of the three previous meetings. That includes their Big East Tournament-clinching win in 2014’s Final. Creighton’s only win came in 2017 when they defeated PC, 70-58.
How to watch Creighton vs. Providence in the 2022 Big East Tournament
When: Friday, March 11
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
How to stream Creighton vs. Providence in the 2022 Big East Tournament online
The Fox Sports App can be used to stream Creighton-Providence.
How to bet on Creighton vs. Providence in the 2022 Big East Tournament
You can bet on this game at DraftKings SportsBook.
The odds for this game will be posted when made available.
Three Things to Watch For
1. How will Nate Watson follow up on his performance? The Providence big man was arguably the best player on the floor against the Bulldogs. Watson, no stranger to the Big East Tournament, scored 26 points — the most he’s ever scored in a single conference tourney game. He will be matched up against one of the best interior defenses in the country, though. The Bluejays have allowed just 43.6 percent of 2-pointers to be made this season. That ranks them ninth in the nation in that category.
2. Have the Jays regained their shooting touch? Under Greg McDermott, Creighton obviously is known for the 3-point shot. That’s what makes their marks from deep so jarring this year. But the Bluejays put on a show from the perimeter against Marquette. They shot 7-for-17, good for 41.2 percent. It’s only the seventh time all season that they’ve shot above 40 percent from 3-point range. They’ll tackle a really good perimeter defense, but if Creighton’s got their mojo back, even for a little while, that might be what helps carry them to a win.
3. Providence is still living on the edge. The Friars remain one of the best teams in close games this season. They once again had a game decided by 10 points or less, as their four-point margin of victory against Butler stood strong. It just seems to be their penchant at this point, so we’ll see if it helps carry them to a berth in the Big East Tournament final or not come Friday night.