PROVIDENCE, R.I. — It took about 26 minutes to materialize, but the response the Providence College men's basketball team needed gradually appeared on Saturday afternoon.
The 16th-ranked Friars are about to enter a brutal stretch in their Big East schedule. Following a blowout loss at Marquette, another at home to St. John's simply couldn't happen.
Providence made its move midway through the second half and it was Nate Watson leading the way. The fifth-year big man pulled his teammates onto his broad shoulders and delivered them just about all the way to an 83-73 victory at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
Watson piled up 18 of his team-high 22 points through the final 20 minutes, missing just one of his eight shots. The Friars turned an early seven-point deficit into a 12-point lead with 4:25 to play, the ideal result entering matchups with Creighton, Connecticut and Seton Hall.
"That was the word we used the last couple of days — how do we respond," Providence coach Ed Cooley said. "We responded to a tough loss and we responded even during the game."
Providence reclaimed the lead midway through the second half and never surrendered it again. Watson's spin in the lane and a Justin Minaya finish on the break gave the hosts a 53-50 advantage with 12:08 left. It was an 8-0 run and the first real sign of danger for the Red Storm.
"Going through college for four years, you realize there are ups and downs through the season," Minaya said. "Whatever happens today nobody is talking about in two days anyway. That's why we try to stay in the moment."
The Friars pressed on from there, as Watson dominated against a foul-plagued St. John's frontcourt. His conventional three-point play on a two-hand slam was part of another 12-2 run, as Providence jumped ahead by double digits. Minaya's 3-pointer from the left wing was an early dagger, and the 72-60 lead with 4:25 to play had the crowd of 10,008 fans on its feet.
"I think it was a credit to the players," Cooley said. "In the huddle, they were inspiring me. They were coaching me to coach them."
The Red Storm (9-4, 1-1 Big East) seemed to have the majority of the early energy. The Friars managed just two assists and gave up eight offensive rebounds in the opening half, allowing St. John's to build a 38-35 lead at the break. Posh Alexander netted 12 of his 14 points and the Red Storm went 13 for 25 from 2-point range.
Providence's defense against St. John's star Julian Champagnie was superb, and a 2-3 zone wrinkle in the second half added to the Red Storm's offensive woes. The Friars (14-2, 4-1) held the All-American candidate to just 5-for-19 shooting, including an 0-for-8 shutout from 3-point range. Champagnie was coming off a monster game in a home win against DePaul, a 34-point, 16-rebound tour de force.
"I had to make him work for everything he was trying to get," Minaya said. "The coaches did a great job preparing me for what he does."
Tuesday's defeat against the Golden Eagles denied Cooley from picking up his 300th career victory. The second attempt proved more to the city native's liking, the latest milestone in a career that started with the 2006-07 season at Fairfield. He became just the third Providence coach to win 200 games at the school earlier this season, joining program legends Dave Gavitt and Joe Mullaney.
"This is not a 300th win for me," Cooley said. "This is a family win. This is a program win. This is a Providence win — the many people who support you.
"I never saw that coming."
