Butler let a nine-point lead in the second half slip away, but recovered with a late 10-0 run to upend No. 8/9 Arizona 69-65 and win the Las Vegas Invitational. Andrew Chrabascz, who had 14 points and seven rebounds, was named the tournament MVP. Kelan Martin led the Bulldogs with 16 points. It is Butler’s third consecutive season with a win over a top-10 foe.
Butler becomes the fourth BIG EAST team to win an in-season tournament this month. The others are: Creighton (Paradise Jam), Villanova (Charleston Classic) and Xavier (Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando, Fla.).
Providence started slowly against Memphis in the Emerald Coast Classic, but pulled away in the second half and posted a 60-51 victory.