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Rapid Reaction: Friars Beat Up on Vermont 70-49

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It’s not even Thanksgiving yet but Christmas came early for PC fans as Kris Dunn unexpectedly made his return tonight against Vermont. Behind his 8 assists and 18 points out of both LaDontae Henton and Bryce Cotton, Providence cruised to a 70-49 victory over the Catamounts.

The Friars got things started early, opening up a sizable lead following a 20-2 run over a 12 minute span in the first half. That scoring run, due mostly to poor shooting by Vermont, was sparked by Kris Dunn making his season debut at the 16 minute mark.

1463113_567666653305768_669003910_nIn the first, the Catamounts managed to make just 14% of their shots while the Friars outscored them 18-4 in the paint. Despite going 0-7 from three point range, PC took a 16 point lead into half time.

Things got a little shaky to begin the second half, however, as Vermont opened up a 10-1 run, resulting in an Ed Cooley timeout where he ripped his suit coat off in frustration. Shortly after that timeout, Josh Fortune rattled off a pair of threes, extending PC’s lead to 17 with about 13 minutes left in the game.

The final 13 minutes featured three straight jumpers by Henton from beyond the arc and Kris Dunn added to his 3 first half assists, finishing the night with 8 helpers. Additionally, Bryce Cotton scored 10 of his 18 points over that stretch.

While the first 20 minutes of this matchup saw Providence dominate inside, the second half saw PC shooters make 7 triples. Clancy Rugg contributed 14 rebounds and 10 points for Vermont but in the end, Providence was too good for them to keep up.

The story of the night however was the return of Kris Dunn. Prior to the game, Providence Journal’s Kevin McNamara reported that Dunn would dress and was expected to play sparingly. By night’s end, Dunn saw 21 minutes of the floor, and he showed no sign of rust. His presence on the court was felt immediately. Dunn was explosive, shaking off defenders with ease and his court vision was on point.

The 21 point win gave Ed Cooley and the Friars their fourth win of the year as they remain perfect on the season. Providence will now travel to St. Thomas for the Paradise Jam, a preseason tournament that features teams such as Maryland, Vanderbilt and LaSalle. On Friday night, at 6:30, the Friars open up with Vanderbilt. Perhaps that will be when Dunn makes his return to the starting lineup.

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