Wednesday was a night to remember for Providence basketball. Here's why.

PROVIDENCE - The AMP was quiet. Fans - at least three of them - wore paper bags on their heads. The game wasn’t pretty and for nearly 40 minutes, it looked like another disappointing night in a disappointing season for the Providence College men’s basketball team.

Then it ended a night people won’t forget.

In a season of brutal losses, a stagnant night of hoops ended with a dramatic finish that went the Friars way. Wednesday’s 97-87 double-overtime win might not change Providence’s season, but it does, at least for a moment, give the Friar faithful a reason to smile.

“I told the guys after, the pain of regret hurts a lot more than the pain of discipline,” PC coach Kim English said. “We’ve had some very very tough locker rooms after games this season. I’m not sure I’ve had the words to say to the guys a lot of the times with the ways we’ve lost. 

“It feels good to be on the other side of it for them, a lot more than me … and for them to see the way it feels when you fight through fatigue, fight through adversity, the way it feels after victory.”

What stood out on this night? For about 39 minutes and 59 seconds, not much. After that? There were a few things.

The Biggest Shot

In practice leading to the game, Daniels worked on the scout team pretending to beat Butler star Finley Bizjack. On Wednesday night, he was the one who sent him home with the L.

There’s a million different scenarios you could have drawn out for who was going to hit the biggest shot of the night, but not many - if any - included Daniels, who had made four shots all season long.

Daniels, a preferred walk on at PC, was prepared as anyone on the court. It’s the mentality that comes with being in the position he’s in, where his job is to work hard to make his teammates better and prepare himself if a situation should arise.

Down three, Daniels didn’t think too much when Ryan Mela pulled down a rebound off a missed 3-pointer by Evan Haywood - who went for the kill instead of taking a more sensible shot.

Mela drove in from the left wing and Daniels spotted up in the corner. When Bizjack stepped toward Mela, he immediately passed it to Daniels for a shot he didn’t hesitate on.

Bang. 

Now the night would have been infinitely more entertaining had Daniels’ shot been the game-winner. The fact that it wasn’t doesn’t take away from a shot that was made in the days, weeks and months leading into the game.

“Coach has been telling me the last two years to be ready. That’s all I kept doing,” Daniels said. “When the opportunity presents itself, just do what you’ve got to do.”

Butler had a chance to win, but Michael Ajayi missed his first free throw before knocking down a second with 6.5 seconds left. The game was tied, but Providence had momentum.

The Most Unexpected Play

Free throws were hardly that for Butler, which gagged at the line in the biggest moments.

For nearly 40 minutes the two teams engaged in what can only be described as truly gross basketball. There was no rhythm to the game and while it never seemed like Providence was in the game, the Bulldogs never kept the Friars from being out of it. 

End-game drama made up for the quality of play and the Bulldogs made the mistake of letting the Friars hang around. Jaylin Sellars hit a 3-pointer with 54 seconds left to put PC up 72-71, its first lead since going ahead 47-46 6:25 into the second half.

Evan Haywood hit a floater to put Butler back on top and PC was aggressive in response, as Ryan Mela was fouled with 21.8 seconds left. Mela missed the first but made the second, tying the game at 73.

Butler put the game in Bizjack’s hands. He drew a foul on Oswin Erhunmwunse that made everyone in The AMP yearn for the days when Big East officials let Big East make Big East plays.

The game wasn’t over, but with 1.3 seconds left on the clock, the game was over. Bizjack was 4-for-4 for the night at the line at this point and while he might miss one, there was no chance an 85 percent free-throw shooters would miss two. 

He did. 

“By no means did that cost us the game,” said Butler coach Thad Matta, unaware that had Bizjack made one the Bulldogs would have won. “... I felt great with him going to the line, it’s just one of those things that happened.”

“Seeing him at the line wasn’t a great feeling,” Daniels said. “Basketball is unpredictable. Some players make shots that you won’t think will make shots, and some players don’t. 

“... He was on the line and whether he made it or not, we were going to keep fighting.”

How PC won the game

Despite being shorthanded - Providence was without Corey Floyd Jr. and Jason Edwards - the Friars simply outlasted Butler. 

With everyone on the floor gassed, contributions came from all over. Duncan Powell got an and-one to open the period and nothing but good followed for PC. Mela made a bucket, Sellars hit some free throws and yada, yada, yada, Providence had a 97-87 win on a night that started with nearly 40 minutes of forgettable basketball and ended with 11 and change of something it hopes will turn the season around. 

“We just need one. We’re right there, it doesn’t matter how many guys we’re down, we will not stop fighting,” Daniels said. “We will change this season around.”

Lost in the win

While plenty of names popped up in big moments, there was one that showed up the entire night.

Saying Sellars was spectacular could be an all-time undersell. English has been showing his players the “Fight of the Century,” the infamous boxing match between Mickey Ward and Arturro Gatti and while Sellars wasn’t as bloodied as the two, he wasn’t exactly at full strength the entire night.

There were moments where Sellars showed he was hurting. English hadn’t spoken with his medical team for a diagnosis of what happened, but it didn’t take a doctor to know something was wrong.

When Sellars limped, it was during dead-ball scenarios. When live game action hit, he went a million miles an hour. 

Providence needed a dude on Wednesday night and Sellars fit the role. His stat line tells the story - 36 points, six rebounds, 6 of 12 from deep, 8 of 10 from the line. 

It was guts on a night when that was the most important trait for the Friars.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Score from Butler at Providence men's basketball on Wednesday, February 4