Providence 55, Villanova 52: Bryce Cotton scored 18 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining, and the visiting Friars held off the Wildcats.

Villanova (13-9, 4-5 Big East) scored nine straight points to forge a 52-52 tie on two free throws by James Bell with 42.6 seconds left. After Vincent Council missed a running jumper with 12 seconds left, Josh Fortune grabbed the offensive rebound and found Cotton, who knocked down the shot from the top of the key over the out-stretched arms of Bell.

Cotton was 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Fortune added 15 points on a career-best five 3-pointers as the Friars (11-11, 3-7) made 10-of-15 from behind the arc.

Darrun Hilliard led the Wildcats with 17 points but shot just 3-of-13 from the field. Mouphtaou Yarou added 10 points and 14 rebounds for Villanova, which shot 27.5 percent from the field and 2-of-15 from behind the arc.

Providence started slowly by missing seven of its first eight shots and faced an early 16-6 deficit. Fortune knocked down two 3-pointers in a 12-0 run and hit two more in a span of 78 seconds as the Friars took a 29-23 lead at halftime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: According to a report by CBS Sports, Providence C Sidikii Johnson left the team to deal with personal issues. Johnson scored a career-high 14 points on Jan. 26 but did not play in the loss to Connecticut last week. ... Cotton became the 45th Friar to reach 1,000 points when he hit a 3-pointer with 7:40 remaining. ... Hilliard knocked down a career-high 10 free throws.for the Wildcats, who have recorded 43 turnovers in their two losses to Providence.