Friars Get Back on Track Against Scarlet Knights
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Early on, Providence’s 78-63 win over Rutgers looked like it could get ugly, but not quite in the way it almost did.
Fresh off two road losses, the Friars looked like they could dominate early on, running out to a 12-2 lead with 10 points in the paint. The Scarlet Knights got within 14-11, but were never very close after the Friars scored the next 12 points. Even when the Scarlet Knights made mini-runs in the second half that got the lead down to single digits, you never really got the sense that Rutgers was that close to tying the game or taking the lead.
With 2:07 left, an alley-oop from Sharaud Curry to Geoff McDermott looked like the exclamation point, as the Friars went up by 12 on the play. But the next time down, it got ugly as Providence guard Weyinmi Efejuku got hammered by Rutgers forward Frank Russell and hit the floor hard. Russell was called for an intentional foul and Efejuku was done for the night. That brought out the boo birds, while Russell was immediately taken out of the game. Rutgers head coach Fred Hill apologized to Providence head coach Tim Welsh after the game.
“I think it warrants a suspension,” said Welsh. “Freddy (Hill) apologized, and I don’t blame Freddy because he doesn’t teach things that way.”
Hill called the play a “momentary lapse in judgment” on Russell’s part and said that he told him to never go after a player like that.
The concerning thing for the Friars with Efejuku is that he went down in Wednesday night’s game at Seton Hall in the tailbone area, which is where he landed after he was fouled by Russell. He was laying on the floor for a good while before getting up and walking off under his own power, but not without a noticeable look of pain. Welsh said after the game that he missed a couple of days of practice leading up to Saturday’s game and wasn’t sure he would play in the game. An MRI showed that he had a bruise.
The Friars dominated the paint with a 46-24 edge in points in the paint. The trio of Herbert Hill (20 points on 9-18 shooting, 13 rebounds, five blocks), McDermott (19 points on 6-9 shooting, eight rebounds, six assists) and Jonathan Kale (13 points on 5-6 shooting) had their way with the Scarlet Knights all night long. They also held Rutgers’ leading scorer, J.R. Inman, to just five points on 2-12 shooting.
“I didn’t think Herbert Hill missed, I’m shocked he was 9-18,” said Fred Hill. “I didn’t think he missed a shot, that’s what it seemed like, anyway.”
A bright spot for the Friars was the second half play of Curry. After going 0-5 in the first half and having struggled in his first two games back from a suspension, the sophomore guard went 4-5 from the field in the second half and finished with 13 points.
“I think he got tight about shooting the ball because he hasn’t played at home in a while,” said Welsh. “He’s trying to get everything back, and every game I think he makes another step. The second half was terrific for him. He pressed a little in the first half, but in the second half he did a great job.”
The Friars now host a Villanova team on Tuesday that has played well of late and scored a nice win on Saturday. They are still winning at home, and soon they’ll have another chance to try to win on the road a two straight road games follow.
Other Notable Games
Clemson 74, Boston College 54: The critics are going to come out after this one, but let’s not get it twisted. Clemson is a tough place for a visiting team to win even when the Tigers have been down, and they played a solid game today. Don’t pin this one on the Eagles’ recent personnel losses.
Villanova 76, Texas 69: The best freshman on the court wasn’t Kevin Durant this time around, as he had just 12 points on 4-15 shooting. Instead, it was Wildcat guard Scotty Reynolds, who had 26 points to lead a solid victory for a Villanova team that had lost three of four and was without Curtis Sumpter (knee bruise).
UCLA 73, Arizona 69: UCLA stays with Oregon on the top of the Pac-10, while the Wildcats have lost three straight Pac-10 games for the first time since 1984.
Oregon 92, California 84: The Ducks hold up their end of the bargain and keep the two-way tie atop the Pac-10 going.
Arkansas 72, LSU 52: The Razorbacks look like an example of a team that plays to the level of its competition. They’re 2-3 in SEC play, but when they win, they win big: their other SEC win was an 88-61 win over Alabama.
Texas Tech 69, Kansas 64: The Jayhawks had won some close ones, looking like they weren’t about to dominate the Big 12 even though they’re the favorites. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders get a quality win.
Michigan 71, Purdue 55: The Wolverines haven’t exactly been giant-killers, but this is a good win for them. Now the big test is ahead: at Wisconsin on Wednesday, at Indiana three days later.
Vanderbilt 72, Kentucky 67: Suddenly, Vanderbilt seems to like playing in Lexington. This was their second straight win there after never winning in the first 28 tries at Rupp Arena. It’s also a solid win for the Commodores that snaps Kentucky’s 11-game winning streak.
Indiana 77, Connecticut 73: The Huskies have now lost four of five as Indiana gets a good road win. The Hoosiers have now won five straight.
Washington State 75, Washington 47: All of a sudden, this looks like a mismatch in favor of the Cougars instead of the Huskies. Washington is now 1-6 in Pac-10 play, having only knocked off winless Arizona State.
Cincinnati 96, West Virginia 83 (OT): This is a nice win for the Bearcats by itself, but it’s even better in light of the fact that they had to come back from a 17-point deficit.
Fordham 77, Saint Louis 68: Three straight wins have the Rams at 4-2 in Atlantic 10 play. Struggling Saint Louis is now 2-4 after being picked near the top of the conference in the preseason.
Bradley 78, Wichita State 63: Want proof of how deep the Missouri Valley is, as well as how difficult road wins are to come by there? The Shockers, who proved themselves in non-conference play, are just 3-6 in conference play after this loss.
Northern Iowa 74, Indiana State 64: The Panthers retain a slim lead atop the Valley with this win.
New Mexico State 80, Nevada 73: The Aggies, who had a 13-game winning streak snapped three days earlier, were thought to be the Wolfpack’s best challenger in the WAC entering the season, and they held serve at home on Saturday. The two teams are tied atop the WAC, which could setup a terrific regular season finale in Reno in early March.
Rhode Island 85, Temple 77: Who would have imagined the Rams being atop the Atlantic 10 after six games? They are 5-1 in conference play after their second straight road win.
Appalachian State 81, Davidson 74: It’s a shame this is the only meeting all season between two of the better Southern Conference teams. Here, the road team got the win to continue nipping at UNC-Greensboro’s heels in the North Division. It’s the first conference loss of the season for Davidson.
George Mason 78, Northeastern 53: The Patriots have hit their stride and are now 5-3 in CAA play after winning their fifth straight game.
Holy Cross 69, American 64 (OT): A nice road win for the Crusaders keeps them on top of the Patriot League standings at 5-0.
Mt. St. Mary’s 81, Robert Morris 78 (OT): This game, and the current records, aren’t what may figured would be the case before the season. The Mountaineers are now 6-2 in NEC play and in second play, while the host Colonials fall to 3-5 in NEC play with this loss.
Brown 76, Yale 71: The road team wins each game in this season’s matchups between the Bulldogs and Bears.
