Fourth-seeded Providence wasn’t thought very highly of. But that didn’t stop the Friars from working over the 13th-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Thursday afternoon.
Providence’s 66-57 win over the Jackrabbits assured the Friars of a chance to play into the second weekend of the tournament. Which, should that occur, would mark the first time since 1997 that they played their way into the Regional Semifinals.
All told, it was a pretty even game. But there was one key bracket of time that made the difference. 10 minutes into the first half, South Dakota Stae held a thin 17-15 lead.