Providence beats Butler 91-81 in Big East Tournament 2026 opener

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Providence Friars men’s basketball opened the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament with a 91-81 win over the Butler Bulldogs men’s basketball on March 11 at Madison Square Garden.

Providence entered the tournament needing a deep run to keep its postseason hopes alive. The Friars finished the regular season 14-17 overall and 7-13 in Big East play, meaning their clearest path to the NCAA Tournament would likely require winning the conference championship and earning the automatic bid.

As the No. 9 seed, Providence took an early step toward that goal by defeating No. 8 seed Butler in the opening game of the tournament.

Stefan Vaaks leads Providence offense

Freshman guard Stefan Vaaks led the Friars with 28 points, delivering a breakout performance in the postseason opener.

Sophomore Ryan Mela added 9 rebounds and 5 assists, helping Providence control the tempo and create scoring opportunities.

The Friars built momentum with efficient scoring and timely defensive stops down the stretch to secure the 10-point victory.

Season series with Butler was tightly contested

Providence and Butler had already played two dramatic games during the regular season, with both matchups going to double overtime.

Butler won the first meeting 113-110 in December. Providence later responded with a 97-87 victory in February to split the season series.

The tournament win gave the Friars the decisive edge in the third matchup between the teams this season.

Friars set to face St. John’s next

Providence now advances to face top-seeded St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball at noon Thursday in the quarterfinal round.

The Red Storm are coached by Rick Pitino, who previously served as head coach of Providence in the late 1980s and led the Friars to the 1987 Final Four before leaving for the NBA.