Vaaks Ties BIG EAST Tournament Record with Eight Threes as Friars Set Up Noon Clash with No. 1 St. John’s
By J.J. Pavlick | Madison Square Garden | March 11, 2026
Providence walked into Madison Square Garden looking like a team fighting for its season. Ten minutes in, the Friars looked like a team losing it. Down 25–9, out of rhythm, and getting carved up at the rim, the moment could have swallowed them.
Instead, they responded with the kind of defiance that defines March.
Behind a historic shooting night from sophomore guard Stefan Vaaks, a career performance from Ryan Mela, and another 20‑point outing from Jaylin Sellers, Providence stormed back to beat Butler 91–81 in the First Round of the BIG EAST Tournament. The Friars advance to face top‑seeded St. John’s at Noon — their third meeting of the season, and their second inside the world’s most famous arena.
“It’s always great to be back in New York,” head coach Kim English said. “Rough start, but once our defense got better, our guys showed great resolve, great togetherness, great fight to find a way to win and live another day.”
A 16‑Point Hole, a 40‑Minute Response
Providence didn’t panic. They recalibrated.
Butler opened the game by scoring 14 of its first 16 points at the rim, slicing through the Friars’ defense with ease. But once Providence tightened its transition coverage and stopped gifting layups, the game flipped.
The Friars hit nine threes in the second half and shot 52% from deep — their best mark ever in a BIG EAST Tournament game.
Vaaks was the catalyst. After battling illness for weeks, he looked like himself fully again, burying eight three‑pointers, tying the BIG EAST Tournament record, and setting a new Providence program mark.
“Kim’s been telling me to shoot the ball,” Vaaks said. “If you look at the sideline, whenever I didn’t shoot an open one, he’d go crazy. It felt good to be back in rhythm.”
Three Friars, 20‑Plus Points — A First in Program History
Providence didn’t just get one hero. They got three.
- Stefan Vaaks — 28 points, 8 threes (BIG EAST Tournament record‑tying)
- Ryan Mela — 23 points, career high
- Jaylin Sellers — 23 points, 22nd 20‑point game of the season
It marked the first time in Providence history that three players scored 20+ in a BIG EAST Tournament game. Per Basketball Reference, it’s the first time any BIG EAST team has done it since Syracuse’s legendary six‑overtime win over UConn in 2009.
Mela, who has been urged by English to shoot more for two years, finally leaned into it.
“Every day, every game, he tells me to be aggressive,” Mela said. “They give me a lot of confidence. It’s part of our offense.”
Sellers, who was ejected in the final minutes of Providence’s last meeting with St. John’s, showed poise and leadership in the comeback.
“We just had to calm down,” Sellers said. “We wanted to win so bad. We stayed together, didn’t overreact, and fixed what we were messing up.”
Butler’s Fight, Providence’s Answer
Butler didn’t fold. Michael Ajayi delivered his 19th double‑double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, breaking the program’s single‑season rebounding record. Finley Bizjack added 17, and the Bulldogs punched first with a 25–9 lead.
But Providence punched last.
“They hit big shots,” Ajayi said. “Guys stepped up on their team, and we couldn’t find an answer. But we fought until the end.”
Butler head coach Thad Matta praised his team’s resilience through a season defined by injuries and adversity.
“With the exception of 20 minutes against Creighton, these guys fought all season long,” Matta said. “They’ve been a joy to be around.”
Next Up: St. John’s Noon at MSG
Providence and St. John’s split the regular‑season series — each winning on the other’s home floor. Now they meet again, with the season on the line.
“It’s going to be a highly competitive, high‑energy game,” Sellers said. “They’ll bring their best, and I’ll make sure we bring ours.”
English dismissed any talk of lingering tension from the last matchup.
“There’s no beef,” he said. “It got blown out of proportion. We respect St. John’s. That’s all it is.”
The Friars will need every ounce of that focus. Less than 17 hours after walking off the Garden floor, they’ll walk back onto it with a chance to shock the No. 1 seed and rewrite the arc of their season.
Sign‑Off
Providence didn’t just win a game — they reclaimed their identity. They showed the toughness, the shot‑making, and the togetherness that make March basketball feel inevitable. And tomorrow, they get another chance to prove they belong on this stage.
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