PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Butler used a late first half run to grab control of the game and then turned in a school-record free throw shooting performance to hold off #24/24 Providence, 68-64, in the final regular season game for both teams at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Saturday (March 7).  The win gave the #21-ranked Bulldogs a share of second place in the BIG EAST and the No. 3 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament Presented by New York Life.

Junior Roosevelt Jones led Butler with 16 points, while junior Kellen Dunham added 15.  Freshman Kelan Martin came off the bench with 14 points, the most he's scored in a BIG EAST game this season.  All three contributed to Butler's perfect day at the free throw line.

Just four days after shooting a season-low 45.5% (10-22) from the charity stripe in a six-point loss to Georgetown, the Bulldogs rebounded by hitting 20 of 20 free throw attempts against Providence!  That effort topped the previous school mark of 16-16 set against Cleveland State in 1974.

The Bulldogs hit 14 free throws in the second half against Providence.

"We didn't do anything different.  We practice them everyday," said Butler Head Coach Chris Holtmann of his team's free throw performance.  "They just went in today."

Jones led the way, hitting eight of eight shots from the charity stripe, while Dunham and senior Kameron Woods each were perfect on four attempts.  Martin and senior Alex Barlow each added a pair to the record effort.

The Bulldogs (22-9, 12-6 BIG EAST) gained some separation in a close game with a 15-5 run in the final six minutes of the first half.  Leading 18-17 with just over six minutes left in the opening period, Butler ran off 11 unanswered points.  Woods started the surge with a lay-up, followed by another lay-up by Jones.  Martin then scored five straight points, followed by a pair of free throws from Woods to put Butler on top, 29-17.

The Bulldogs led 33-20 at halftime and stretched that advantage to as many as 16 points in the first seven minutes of the second half.

But Providence (21-10, 11-7 BIG EAST) wasn't done.  Spurred on by a crowd of 12,400, the Friars stormed back and eventually cut the Butler lead to a single point, 50-49, with  on a basket by Tyler Harris with seven-and-a-half minutes left.

The Bulldogs answered the Providence charge with eight consecutive points, five by Martin and three by Dunham, and the Friars never got closer than three points the rest of the way.  Butler hit eight free throws in the final four minutes to preserve the win.

"This is a heck of a win for our team," said Holtmann after the game.  "Providence is a really good team.  I have tremendous respect for (head coach) Ed (Cooley) and the job that he does.  To come in here and do this on 'Senior Day' against a really good program in the great atmosphere they had today, is a real credit to our kids. (Our players) had the right competitive approach today and down the stretch we were able to sneak one out."

Providence was led by guard Kris Dunn, who scored 21 of his game-high 23 points in the second half.  Harris added 17.  Senior forward LaDontae Henton, the leading scorer in the BIG EAST, was limited to eight points, his second-lowest total of the season.

"Roosevelt (Jones) and Kameron (Woods) and the team approach was really important in containing (Henton)," said Holtmann.  "I don't think I have to tell anyone here that he's a really good player and a prolific scorer, and he was certainly a focal point in our scout.  To slow him down like we did, you can't take even one possession off, he's too good.  Roosevelt was terrific on him and Kameron was as well."

Woods helped Butler to a 39-27 rebounding advantage by pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds.  It was the sixth time in the past 10 games that he's grabbed at least 10 rebounds.  He also had a team-high three steals.

The win was Butler's fifth against a team ranked in the "Top 25" this season.

Butler, picked to finish in a tie for seventh in the BIG EAST preseason poll, wound up tied with Georgetown for second place in the final league standings.  The Bulldogs will begin play in the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden against No. 6-seed Xavier on Thursday, March 12, at 9:30 p.m. (ET).