PROVIDENCE 72, CONNECTICUT 70: Bryce Cotton scored 22 points and freshman LaDontae Henton added 18, including a pair of huge 3-pointers down the stretch, and the host Friars dealt the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament hopes a big blow.

Gerard Coleman added 13 points for Providence (15-15, 4-13 Big East), which hit 10 3-pointers and erased a 14-point deficit to earn a third straight home win over the Huskies. The Friars have won five of the last seven meetings.

The Huskies led 51-37 with just over 12 minutes left before Cotton and the Friars shot their way back into the game. The sophomore scored 14 points during a 26-5 that gave Providence a 63-56 lead with under four minutes to play.

UConn (17-12, 7-10) cut the margin to 63-61, but Henton hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second with the shot clock expiring, which gave Providence a 69-61 lead with just over a minute left.

The Huskies again pulled to within three points at 72-69 on a 3-pointer from Jeremy Lamb with 28 seconds left.

It was a tough loss for Connecticut, which has lost nine of 12 to keep the defending national champs squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Andre Drummond had 14 points and 12 rebounds and Lamb finished with 12 points on just 5-of-15 shooting for UConn, which hopes to have Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun (back surgery) back for Saturday's regular-season finale against Pittsburgh.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Lamb’s first field goal came with just over six minutes left in the half. … The Friars, devoid of seniors, honored junior forward Bilal Dixon on Senior Night. Dixon will graduate this spring.