Providence lets another one slip away at Marquette -- in the most inexplicable way(s)

There’s no other way to put it, this loss was inexcusable.

In isolation, both the closing seconds in regulation and the final sequence in overtime may happen once in a season. Somehow, Providence managed to squeeze both into one night in their 105-104 loss to Marquette on Monday.

They managed to give up 105 points to an offensively inept opponent and lost in overtime for the fourth time in four tries this season.

The game mismanagement over the final minute of regulation and overtime had to have been seen to be believed. The mistakes included:

• Up four points with a minute to go in regulation, Providence grabbed an offensive rebound and put up a difficult shot instead of eating clock.

• With ten seconds left, Providence had the ball up three points, but made a pair of mistakes — first turning the ball over off the dribble and then fouling a freshman on a corner 3-pointer with two seconds on the clock.

• On what should have been the final possession of overtime, Providence did not get the ball in the hands of either Stefan Vaaks or Jaylin Sellers with the game tied. They sat on their final timeout when it was apparent the possession was going sideways.

For all of the inexplicable decisions or the inability to slow a Marquette team that was led by a freshman in Nigel James Jr. (a career-high 38 points), the final 20 seconds of overtime were the most incomprehensible.

Tied with 20 seconds to go and the ball in their hands, Providence had two obvious options: Sellers and Vaaks. Both of Marquette’s top wing defenders had fouled at that point. Sellers had 27 points on 13 free throw attempts, while Vaaks scored 19 in the second half and had found both Oswin Erhunmwunse and Jamier Jones for dunks off lobs on PC’s previous two possessions.

They had twenty seconds to get something good; instead they were shaky from the moment they inbounded the ball.

The Friars barely got the ball over halfcourt before a ten-second violation could be called. That was the most immediate sign of trouble. Marquette wasn’t picking up full court and the Friars almost meandered up the court.

By the time Corey Floyd crossed halfcourt, there were ten seconds on the clock. Five seconds later, he lost control of the ball and then tripped Marquette center Ben Gold to send him to the free throw line — shots that won the game for the Golden Eagles.

It was the latest example of this group finding a way to come up short.

“Really wish I would have just called timeout late with the tie at the end to get the last shot,” PC head coach Kim English said. “We had a call in and thought our guys could execute it. We obviously didn’t and I should have just called a timeout and got organized.”

“I tried, but the ball was out of Corey’s hands by the time I called it.”

It was the most inexplicable late-game meltdown in a season filled with them — from their inability to play any defense in overtime against Virginia Tech to a late-game flop that cost them the final possession at Butler, to poor execution down the stretch versus Seton Hall, and watching an 11-point lead slip away against Connecticut in the final three minutes.

But Monday night in Milwaukee set a new standard. It started with a no-show on the defensive end early. Marquette shot 61% from the field in the first half and came up with nine steals in the opening 20 minutes.

Still, Providence was able to take a late lead behind a career night and true heater from Vaaks, along with Sellers drawing fouls and getting to the rim at will.

But as has been the case all season, offense hasn’t been an issue — but it hasn’t been enough to overcome a lack of situational awareness. Far too often, Providence has given up back-breaking offensive rebounds, gone sprawling after shot fakes, had a hand down on shooters, looked at each other after defensive breakdowns, or simply not executed offensively when the game most needed it.

The Friars simply found ways to lose on Monday and headed home with a 9-10 record and their sixth loss in eight Big East games.

“I just feel awful for our guys,” English said. “I have to be better in these moments to get us over the hump, have to be better throughout the week in prep, have to be better in the moment on the sideline.”

“We had every opportunity to win that game.”

Opportunity has never been the issue for Providence this year. They’ve done enough to give themselves a chance on most nights, but haven’t come close to executing well enough in the critical moments to be anything more than what their record says they are.