Friar Basketball
Home / Game Recaps / Friars Roll Florida State

Friars Roll Florida State

HentonFSU

A week ago Ed Cooley said Providence was a work in progress after they held off Albany in the team’s season opener. Apparently they’re fast learners.

Taking on a Florida State team expected to compete for a top five spot in the ACC in the preseason, PC was dominant from the opening tip, jumping out to an 11-0 lead and holding the Seminoles without a field goal for the first six and a half minutes of the game in an 80-54 victory at Mohegan Sun on Saturday afternoon.

Providence limited Florida State to 6-23 shooting over the first 20 minutes — the same mark Navy finished with in the first half on Thursday night.

While the story of the game was the return of Kris Dunn — both to Connecticut and vintage form (15 points, 9 assists) — Cooley credited Carson Desrosiers for getting the team going. The fifth year senior made a pair of jump shots in the first half to turn an early 13-5 lead into an 18-5 cushion that was more than enough from there on in.

“I love this group. I’ve said it from Day 1, how much I enjoy coaching this group because of their mental toughness, their ability to care, share and love for one another. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. I thought we played a great game,” said Cooley.

It’s hard to nitpick this victory. Providence made 53% of their shots, held Florida State to 39% and connected on 9-19 from 3 point range. After struggling from deep in their first two games, the Friars have made 20 over the past two.

On Thursday night freshman Ben Bentil broke out, scoring 18 points, and three days later it was fellow freshman Jalen Lindsey’s turn. Lindsey connected on 5-6 from beyond the arc on his way to scoring a season high 15 points.

Asked if Lindsey’s hot afternoon was the result of his dislocated finger healing, Cooley quipped, “I hope his hand feels the exact same way tomorrow.” He expanded  bit on Lindsey and the struggles he’s had to go through physically, first missing the team’s trip to Italy with an illness, and then mangling his finger in the preseason, “I’m really, really happy for Jalen and I know his teammates really care for him.”

It’s telling that it took this long to get to LaDontae Henton, the senior forward who has been a steadying influence, scored a team high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four steals. This was Henton’s second double double of the season and marked the third time that he’s scored over 20 points.

Providence has a size-able challenge tomorrow, finishing the Hall of Fame Tipoff with Jerian Grant and Notre Dame. Cooley called Grant one of the best players in the country, but said his team’s focus will be on continual improvement, “This game is about Providence College tomorrow. If we do what we have to do we’re going to put ourselves in a situation to have success. We want to improve, improve, improve. That will be our mantra until we get to the top.”

If they keep improving at this rate it could be a special year in Providence.

Email: kevin.farrahar@friarbasketball.com

Twitter: Kevin_Farrahar

12 Comments

  1. Manuel ISkierdo Manuel

    November 23, 2014 at 12:24 am

    WARNING! Carry on reading! Or you will die, even if you only looked at the word warning! Once there was a little girl called Clarissa, she was
    ten-years-old and she lived in a mental hospital, because she killed her
    mom and her dad. She got so bad she went to kill all the staff in the
    hospital so the More-government decided that best idea was to get rid of
    her so they set up a special room to kill her, as humane as possible
    but it went wrong the machine they were using went wrong. And she sat
    there in agony for hours until she died. Now every week on the day of
    her death she returns to the person that reads this letter, on a monday
    night at 12:00a.m. She creeps into your room and kills you slowly, by
    cutting you and watching you bleed to death. Now send this to ten other
    pictures on this one site, and she will haunt someone else who doesn’t.
    This isn’t fake. apparently, if u copy and paste this to ten comments in
    the next ten minutes u will have the best day of ur life tomorrow. u
    will either get kissed or asked out, if u break this chain u will see a
    little dead girl in your room tonight. in 53 mins someone will say i
    love you

  2. Brian Shortsleeve

    November 23, 2014 at 1:24 am

    Go get em!

  3. Brian Fitzgerald

    November 23, 2014 at 1:57 am

    Everybody shoes up on the defensive end! Big win!

  4. Frank Colalella

    November 23, 2014 at 2:17 am

    Loser

  5. Derec Lamendola

    November 23, 2014 at 2:45 am

    LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Providdnce College Friars Has BIG Win Tonight We Can Do That Evvery Year This Year Keep Keep Keep Wing AlLOT ALOT Away Games This Year Play BiG Win Tommerrow PC Going TO Be Ranckit TOP 25 Ugesnt Kintuckie He’d Coach NOT Good I HATE Kintucke

  6. Peter Buonocore

    November 23, 2014 at 4:24 am

    Nice!

  7. Gerry Mckenna

    November 23, 2014 at 4:56 am

    We kicked ass.

  8. Alicia Elaine

    November 23, 2014 at 5:57 am

    Paul Anita Chaput (cough cough).

  9. Kevin Walsh

    November 23, 2014 at 11:47 am

    Nice win Friars!

  10. Kevin Walsh

    November 23, 2014 at 11:48 am

    Deirdre Skahan Walsh Erin Walsh

  11. Donna Rice

    November 23, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    YES. GREAT ANNIVERSARY PRESENT

  12. Gail Catalon Teese

    November 23, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    Go Friars!

You must be logged in to post a comment Login