Connor Kochera scored 22 points as Davidson started fast and recorded a 69-58 victory over Providence in the consolation bracket of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas on Thursday night.
Bobby Durkin tied a career high with 20 points and Reed Bailey contributed 18 and 11 rebounds as Davidson (5-1) scored the game’s first nine points, led by as many as 22 and bounced back nicely from 104-71 loss against No. 24 Arizona.
Kochera made 7 of 10 shots and hit eight of Davidson’s 17 free throws, while Durkin was 7-of-12 with four of Davidson’s six 3s. The Wildcats shot 46.9 percent, including 11-of-15 on layups, and committed only eight turnovers.
Kochera and Durkin helped Davidson advance to a meeting with No. 3 Gonzaga in Friday’s fifth-place game.
Jayden Pierre scored 14 points and Wesley Cardet added 13 but the duo combined to shoot 9-of-23 from the field. The Friars shot 31 percent, including 6 of 18 on layups.
The Friars (5-2) held out Bryce Hopkins, who is close to returning from a torn ACL sustained Jan. 3. They struggled most of the game and will face No. 14 Indiana in Friday’s seventh-place game after following up its two-point loss to Oklahoma with its worst showing this season.
Providence missed its first 10 shots and trailed 11-2 about six minutes in. Davidson took a 17-5 lead on Durkin’s 3 with 12:54 left, then added a fast 10-0 run to make it 27-8 on Bailey’s jumper with 8:50 left.
After Providence made a slight dent by getting within 31-17 on Cardet’s triple with 3:59 left, the Wildcats took a 38-18 lead by halftime as Mike Loughnane sank a 3 with 55 seconds remaining.
Providence ripped off seven straight points to get within 62-49 on a 3 by Pierre with seven minutes left. The Friars moved within 65-55 after Bensley Joseph sank two free throws with 2:08 left but got no closer the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media
