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UMass Comeback Shocks the Friars

Nate UMass

Providence was cruising against Massachusetts on Friday night — then Carl Pierre hit his first shot.

The UMass sophomore has been quite the find for head coach Matt McCall. The 6’4 Boston native did not receive a scholarship offer until McCall and the Minutemen came calling in the spring of his senior year at Boston College High School. He was the 80th ranked player in New England at the time.

Several programs were monitoring Pierre after a strong spring AAU showing his senior year, with Providence reportedly being one of them, but a prep year looked to be in his future before he committed to UMass in June.

The Friars led by as many as 20 points in the first half on Friday thanks to a 9-13 start from deep. They led by 18 at the break, and were comfortably up, 63-49, when Pierre scored his first points of the game on a 3-pointer with 10:52 left in the second half.

Pierre’s first make cut the lead to 11, and he hit two more 3-pointers over the next 64 seconds to spark a 9-1 UMass run that suddenly sliced a comfortable Providence advantage to just six.

Pierre, who connected on 92 3-pointers on 47% shooting from deep during a terrific freshman season, wasn’t done. His fourth straight 3-pointer a few minutes later cut PC’s lead to two at 67-65. With that, a crowd that had been relatively quiet all night turned uncomfortable.

Providence was stunned by the Pierre-sparked comeback and the Friars never seemed to regain their composure.

PC’s inability to stretch the lead when the opportunity presented itself put them in a precarious position late.

An AJ Reeves and-1 on a 17 footer and two Nate Watson free throws pushed PC ahead 76-70 with under five minutes remaining, but UMass countered with a 7-0 run of their own over the next two and a half minutes. The Minutemen run was aided by Pierre’s fifth 3-pointer of the game — a shot that would cut the lead to a point before Fall River, MA native Curtis Cobb hit a difficult floater off of a PC turnover to put UMass ahead by one.

PC had a chance to push the 76-70 advantage to eight or nine, but Kalif Young took an 18 foot jumper with 18 seconds remaining on the shot clock and Alpha Diallo later rimmed out a 3-pointer.

The final two and a half minutes were filled with missed opportunities for the Friars. After Diallo scored to put PC up a point with two minutes left, the Friars got a stop, but squandered the ensuing possession when freshman point guard David Duke forced a tough shot in the paint with 21 seconds left on the shot clock.

After UMass missed a pair of free throws down a point with over a minute to play, Nate Watson missed on a good look near the rim, and again after PC grabbed the offensive board at the 53 second mark after his initial miss.

Massachusetts point guard Luwane Pipkins, who has now scored 56 points in his last two games against the Friars, finished a drive with 11 seconds to go for a one point UMass lead, and Diallo missed a contested shot with three seconds left as UMass escaped with an improbable 79-78 comeback victory.

Ed Cooley was livid at the apparent lack of a no-call on Diallo’s drive, but corrected himself in the postgame afterwards, saying the referees got the call right.

Providence looked well on their way to sweeping a six day, three game run against New England opponents. The Friars won an ugly one against Rhode Island at home on Saturday and stole an overtime win at Boston College before running out to a 20 point lead on Friday. Cooley said his team was “despondent” after the loss to Massachusetts and was visibly upset with himself in the postgame press conference.

“I know our fans will be disappointed. They can clearly point to me,” Cooley said. “I think this is my loss, not the players, and I’ll make sure I make some corrections for them.”

Providence (7-3) now has nine days off before a busy six-day stretch in which they host Central Connecticut State and Albany before traveling to Austin to take on Texas.

9 Comments

  1. Robert Dugan

    December 8, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    that has to be the worst loss of Ed’s career, a 20 point lead against a 5-4 team at home, wow

  2. Wally Musto

    December 8, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    PC is a big time team without a big time guard. They had no direction the last 2 plays of the game. White has to be the PG. No choice at this point in the schedule. UMass got “crazy hot” throwing up shots from everywhere. Got to move on!!! No sense dwelling, bad memory for sure but long season ahead!!! GO FRIARS!!!!!!

  3. Russ Brule

    December 8, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    The PC offensive attack confuses me? They have a very difficult time scoring in the paint, but they continue to focus on trying to get the ball inside. In the 1st half of the UMass game PC was taking outside shots, granted most were going in, but the Friars looked very loose and they looked like looked like they were having fun. Personally I think taking shots is far more affective than spending 35 seconds trying to find a 6.5 guy free underneath, too many times we take a bad shot as the shot clock winds down, and we end up on our heals on D.
    Please let these guys run and shoot….

  4. Russ Brule

    December 8, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    The PC offensive attack confuses me? They have a very difficult time scoring in the paint, but they continue to focus on trying to get the ball inside. In the 1st half of the UMass game PC was taking outside shots, granted most were going in, but the Friars looked very loose and they looked like they were having fun. Personally I think taking shots is far more affective than spending 35 seconds trying to find a 6.5 guy free underneath, too many times we take a bad shot as the shot clock winds down, and we end up on our heals on D.
    Please let these guys run and shoot….

  5. Frank McDonough

    December 8, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    Lots of issues.

    Let’s begin by locking folks inside the new Ruane practice facility until they each hit 100 free throws, including 10 in a row.

    It’d be a start.

    Yes, even Diallo.

    Where has Emmit Holt gone?

  6. Jep

    December 9, 2018 at 2:45 am

    2 mill a year to cooley and PC can’t field a basesball team. Lol. No white boys wanna play at pc…why? Pathetic loss…looked fixed.

  7. Derec Lamendola

    December 9, 2018 at 4:45 am

    Dear Friar Baaketball Providence College Men’s Basketball What You Doing Why Are You NOT Starting Isisiah Jacksion Your Best Senior Year In The Ferking Line UP And What’s IS Going On With Isisiah Jacksion And Something Going On And Start Your Best Player Isisiah Jacksion This His Best Senior Year This His Last Year And Like Come Do Something And Derec Lamemdola iS Working And We Need Makai Ashton Langfrod Get Well And Move Fowrd I So Providence College Men’s Baaketball Ed Cooley On Tv Tonight And Becusee I’m Am Like. Chut Ed Cooley OFF And Tommerrow Sunday All Ferking Day And Monday Pertasking Tuesday Pertasking Wednesday Thursday Finle Exams Colse UP On Friday And I Haven’t Seen Makai Ashton Langfrod Siister Ugen And I Haven’t Seen His Siister Long Time IS Been Long Time I Haven’t Seen Hear The All Seoasn And Becusee Lets Move On And Get VOKIS And

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    Do Something Makai Ashton Langfrod And What’s Wing With You I Won’t Ed Cooley To Start Makai Ashton Langfrod In The Ferking Line UP Undertsan Me And I’m Am Mad And I’m Tick And I’m Pissed OFF And Becuaee I’m Am,And Becusee Plerys Derec Lamemdola iS SO Pissed About Makai Ashton Langfrod Plerys Come On Jus Do Something And I Won’t Ed Cooley Do Derec Lamendola Plerys And Starting Do Something Becusee Plerys I’m Am Geting Redey For This Year Providence College Men’s Baaketball Derec Lamendola iS SO Pissed About Makai,Ashton Langfrod IS NOT Starting Line UP And Isisiah Jacksion His Last Senior Year On The Team Coms On Plerys Jus Start Makai Ashton Langfrod In The Starting Line UP Like Come On Ed Cooley Has To Be Back On Twitter Amd Geting This Going Undertsan Me I’m Pssied OFF And I’m Am Mad Come On Makai Ashton Langfrod Plerys

  8. Derec Lamendola

    December 15, 2018 at 4:23 am

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    Redey For This Sunday And Becusee I’m Am Redey For This Sunday All Redey And I Think That Makai Ashton Langford Has To Do Something And We GOT Do Something Everthing GOS BY Fast That’s Life Everthing GOS BY Fast We Jus Going To Injoy The Weekend And Saturday Sunday And Than Back To Monday Tuesday Wedensday Thursday Friday Saturday Ges What I Ges Some One Birthday Coming UP Soon 1 Week Form Tommerrrow December 22 iS Derec Lamendola Birthday Beddter Do Something Spechel And Providence College Men’s Baaketball iS Playing On MY Birthday This Year December 21 Be For MY Birthday And Becusee We We Are Redey For Sunday Game And Providence College Men’s Basketball Has To Do Something Ed Colley Has To Figer IT OUT See Doing

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  9. Derec Lamendola

    December 18, 2018 at 3:44 pm

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    The All Dunk Was Looking For Me AT Gamw I Hard Looking For Derec Lamemdola See Were He iS And I DINT GO
    Amd So I’m Am Coming Tonight And I’m Am The Maryer The Dunk And I’m Am The Maery AT The Dunk And New York TO Has Well And Becusee I Be Long AT Madison Sqwere Garding And Becuaee Providence College Men’s Baketball That’s MY Team And Becusee This The Last Home Regler Seoasn Home Game Tonight And Every One Going Tonight And Bscusee I’m Am So PUMT For Tonight I Hard IS Going Be Jamed Pack Tonight That’s I Hard And

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    IS Hear I Won’t You Let Know Makai Ashton Langford Let Makai Ashton Langford Know iS Derec Lamemdola Birthday iS Saturday I Won’t Friar Basketball Do Something For MY Birthday This Saturday And Remeber Last Year And I Won’t You Do A Picksher OF Makai Ashton Langford Do For MY Birthday That’s I Won’t For MY Birthday And Becusee And I’m Am Redey For Tonight Game And IS Going Be Pack Tonight Jamed House Rocking Tonight And Becusee I’m Am Redey For This Year And Becuaee I Am Redey Thery iS Nuthing On Friar Baketball I Won’t Ed Cooley Do Derec Lamendola Plays For Tonight And This Conferntis And Bscusee Ed Colley When You Get In The Locker Room Have A Team Meeding With The Team I Won’t You Say This The Men’s Game JUS Madison Sqwere Garding This Men’s Game Jus Say OUT Laord And Lets Make Some Nose And Lets Eat IT Tell Makai Ashton Langfrod That And We Need To Say Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Were iS The The Boom Boom Boom

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