Pierre Brooks II scored 25 points and ninth-seeded Butler earned a wire-to-wire 75-69 victory over eighth-seeded Providence in the opening round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday. The Bulldogs (14-18) snapped a four-game losing streak and advanced to a matchup with top-seeded St.

The Big East men’s basketball tournament tips off Wednesday afternoon when the Butler Bulldogs (13-18, 6-14) take on the Providence Friars (12-19, 6-14) in New York City.

While neither team is particularly impressive, Providence has largely held Butler in check through two meetings, winning one by double-digit points and losing the other by just one. The Friars win the rubber match to advance.