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Xavier Rolls Past Friars

Cooley Xavier

Much like when Providence last met Xavier, the final score on Wednesday night was not indicative of how the game truly went. In two meetings with PC this season Xavier has executed on a different level and been the more physical team, and as a result they handled the Friars both times they saw them.

Xavier led by as many as 18 points in the first half and scored 52 points before the break in their 85-74 victory over Providence at the Cintas Center.

PC made a pair of runs in the second half. The first was an 13-2 spurt that sliced Xavier’s lead to seven with 16 minutes remaining. X countered that run by scoring ten straight of their own to push the advantage back to 17.

The Friars got to within six twice in the final four minutes, but never truly challenged as Xavier controlled the game throughout.

Providence made just 32% of their shots from the field, in part because they hoisted 35 three point field goals, while Myles Davis recorded a triple double for Xavier with 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Kris Dunn led three double digit scorers for the Friars with 23 points. He added 11 rebounds and six assists, while snapping out of his funk at the free throw line by making 10-12, but he had nearly half of PC’s 15 turnovers.

Ben Bentil finished with 17 points, but appeared out of sorts for the first time since maybe the season opener against Harvard. The sophomore big man made just 5-14 shots from the field and missed an uncharacteristic four free throws.

Rodney Bullock made three 3 pointers and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Providence now has a much-needed eight days off before they return to the court against a surging Seton Hall team. Suddenly, the Friars are inching their way toward the bubble and will need to win three of their final four conference games to enter the Big East Tournament feeling confident in their chances of making the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season.

This has been a different type of season for Ed Cooley’s team. Under the fifth year head coach Providence has improved as the calendar turned to February in year’s past, but this version of the Friars is reeling.

PC finished January by going 3-1 during a difficult stretch that included road wins at #1 Villanova and Georgetown, a victory over then-#18 Butler, and a loss to Xavier.

Providence is 1-4 in February, albeit with two of those losses coming against top 10 teams in Xavier and Villanova.

At 19-8 on the season and 7-7 in conference play, the Friars finish with four winnable games to close out the year. They travel to Newark to play an emerging Seton Hall club next Thursday, and then welcome DePaul and Creighton before wrapping up on the road against last place St. John’s.

The NCAA Tournament that seemed like a foregone conclusion for much of the season is now in doubt. Split the final four games and PC will have work to do in Madison Square Garden, take three out of four and they should be in good shape.

After stumbling of late, perhaps Cooley’s biggest challenge will be the repair the psyche of a group that played with so much confidence for the first three months of the season.

3 Comments

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  3. Derec Lamemdola

    February 19, 2016 at 9:16 pm

    Providence College

    Crightion

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    Becuase The Pleryas Are Geting Me So Dissie So Thery Don’t Know How Do Thery Providence College Mens Basketball Going Pertkias Tommmerrow Saturday Pkertkias All Day Tommerrrow Night Undertsan Amd Sunday Pertikas All Day

    Sunday Night And Monday Perasrtkias 4:00 6:00 Alumna Hall
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    Thursday Pertkias Til 4:00 6:45 Pergame And Providence College Mens Basketball Will Be Seaited So KNOW Xaver Know MarQueete Know Villnova We Are All Done With Them Undertsan Coach Ed Coooley Going Be On Chanel 10 News This All Weeekend Saturday Sunday

    Emall@Derecfriarafan@yahoo..com

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