Now without two key players for the season, Providence will try to shake off a three-game Big East losing streak when Xavier pays a visit to Rhode Island’s capital city on Wednesday night.In the absence of Bryce Hopkins and Jabri Abdur-Rahim (season-ending knee injuries), senior Miami transfer Bensley Joseph poured in a game-high 26 points and sophomore Rich Barron added a career-high 23 in an 82-81 loss Saturday for the Friars (11-13, 5-8) at Butler.The duo combined for 12 3-pointers (seven by Barron), and Joseph eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time as a Friar, but it was not enough as Providence allowed a 50 percent shooting night by the Bulldogs.”We dug ourselves in a hole (as many as 13 points in the second half) by not having a sustainable, disciplined effort defensively throughout,” Friars coach Kim English said. “The guys showed great resolve to make it a game.”The coach called it a “wasted” game due to a lack of defensive effort from the Friars, who are just 1-5 in games decided by two points or fewer. Two of their last three losses have been in one-possession games.Xavier (14-10, 6-7) is also coming off a down defensive effort, which led to an 80-68 loss Sunday at Villanova. The Musketeers have allowed at least 40 second-half points in their last three games.”Some of it is execution and us detailing a number of things to get better at. Some of it is that it has to come from within yourself,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said.