ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Providence used a fast start and held off Davidson down the stretch to edge the ‘Cats, 63-62, on day two of the 2020 Maui Invitational Tuesday evening at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center.
Davidson (1-2), which never led and trailed by as many as 19, had a chance in the closing seconds for the second straight game, but Hyunjung Lee was unable to get a layup to go with three ticks left. A final jump shot from Sam Mennenga then missed at the buzzer following a long pass from Bates Jones.
“I thought Lee had that layup,” said coach Bob McKillop. “Even that last play, we got a great pass from Bates, and Sam got a good look. It just didn’t go down.”
A day after falling to No. 17 Texas by two, Lee and Kellan Grady paced the Wildcats with 17 points each.
Both teams went on lengthy runs in the first 20 minutes before Providence (2-1) entered the half up, 35-31.
The Friars took advantage of Davidson’s sluggish start and opened up a 27-8 advantage, forcing the ‘Cats to burn another 30-second timeout at the 8:20 mark. Out of the stoppage, Davidson responded with seven straight field goals, sparking a 23-6 spurt to close the frame capped by a Lee tip-in at the buzzer.
Providence placed three in double figures, including Nate Watson, who finished with a game-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting.
Davidson held a slim 34-32 edge on the glass, while the Friars only turned it over four times.
The Wildcats will conclude their second-ever appearance in the Maui Invitational tomorrow evening with a 9:30 p.m. contest against either Alabama or UNLV.
