Shorthanded Providence basketball can't keep up. Here's what happened vs. Xavier

Shorthanded Providence basketball can’t keep up. Here’s what happened vs. Xavier

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Basketball

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The Friars were outscored 22-0 in the first half and Providence coach Kim English was ejected early in the second.
Providence was without five players, including leading scorer Bryce Hopkins.
The Friars cut the lead to three with under four minutes left but could not get any closer.

PROVIDENCE — Corey Floyd Jr. joined a host of players who couldn’t take the court. Kim English was ejected early in the second half.

If you were late for the opening tip or took some extra time coming back from the popcorn lines at the break, you missed the two most important takeaways from another frustrating Wednesday night at Amica Mutual Pavilion.

Providence’s shorthanded rotation imploded midway through the opening 20 minutes and its head coach wasn’t around for the conclusion. The Friars slid to a 91-82 loss against Xavier, a fourth straight to push them further down the Big East standings.

The Musketeers ripped off a 22-0 run to take the lead for good and withstood a less than impressive trip into the stretch. Providence cut a 26-point margin all the way down to three possessions with 3:58 left but came no closer. It’s the second time the Friars have dropped at least four in a row this season, and they’re now two games behind Xavier and Georgetown in the race to avoid the league’s bottom four.

“I’m frustrated with us,” English said. “Because even still, without Corey, I still think we had enough if we’re disciplined and we play the right way.”

Floyd was involved in a motor vehicle accident near campus this week and suffering from symptoms in line with a concussion. He joined Bryce Hopkins (knee), Jabri Abdur-Rahim (knee), Wesley Cardet Jr. (iliotibial band) and Christ Essandoko (illness) on the bench. The Friars still put five players in double figures, but 91 points allowed represented the wrong kind of season high through 25 games.

“You think you’re going to win the game with defense, which is obvious,” English said. “You think maybe you’re not going to score as many points. We scored 82 points, which is enough to win.”

Providence (11-14, 5-9 Big East) sizzled early. Justyn Fernandez netted 12 of his 15 points in the opening 3:49, and the Friars were out to a 16-5 lead. They connected on nine of their first 11 attempts from the field and seemed to have Xavier looking at consecutive conference defeats for the third time this season.

The Musketeers (15-10, 7-7) answered with a burst that lasted from the 11:33 to 6:25 marks of the opening half. Ryan Mela’s pair of field goals bracketed an empty stretch where Xavier turned a seven-point deficit into a 15-point cushion. Ryan Conwell’s three-point play off a drive down the right capped it, and Providence closed the half in a 3-for-18 freeze from the field.

“They got closer to shooters,” English said. “They started switching a little bit more. You’ve got to fight defensive pressure with pressure – with back cuts, with drives, with offensive rebounding.

“We kind of got on our heels a bit.”

Zach Freemantle’s jumper at the buzzer gave the Musketeers a 45-30 lead into the locker room, and English didn’t see much more. He was whistled for a second technical foul with 18:38 left and sent away by referee Brent Hampton. Xavier eventually enjoyed a 62-36 advantage after Dante Maddox Jr. buried a transition 3-pointer off the left wing.

“He’s had great moments for us” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “But it really hasn’t clicked until I would say at some point here in late January or early February.”

Jayden Pierre’s layup chopped that margin all the way down to 78-69, but the Friars couldn’t cut into it any further. They shot just 32.0% from 3-point range in the game, some misfiring that blunted a 20-for-26 effort from inside the arc in the second half. Mela totaled 13 points and 10 rebounds for a second career double-double while Oswin Erhunmwunse was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor on his way to a career-high 14 points.

“I can’t control a hit and run car accident,” English said. “I can’t control Wesley Cardet’s IT band. I can’t control Bryce’s situation. I can’t control Christ’s illness. I can’t control Jabri’s meniscus.

“The only thing we can control is our preparation every day.”

XAVIER (91): Dailyn Swain 3-7 7-8 13, Zach Freemantle 7-15 6-7 23, Marcus Foster 0-5 0-0 0, Ryan Conwell 4-12 7-8 17, Dayvion McKnight 3-6 0-0 6, Dante Maddox Jr. 7-11 6-6 26, Jerome Hunter 1-2 0-0 3, John Hugley IV 1-1 0-0 3; Totals 26-59 26-29 91.

PROVIDENCE (82): Rich Barron 3-7 0-0 8, Oswin Erhunmwunse 7-7 0-3 14, Jayden Pierre 6-13 0-0 13, Justyn Fernandez 5-11 1-1 15, Bensley Joseph 7-14 0-1 15, Anton Bonke 2-2 0-0 4, Ryan Mela 6-10 1-5 13, Eli DeLaurier 0-1 0-0 0, Nilavan Jotham Daniels 0-2 0-0 0; Totals 36-67 2-10 82.

Halftime – X, 45-30. 3-pointers – X 13-27 (Swain 0-1, Freemantle 3-5, Foster 0-2, Conwell 2-7, Maddox 6-9, Hunter 1-2, Hugley 1-1), P 8-25 (Barron 2-6, Pierre 1-5, Fernandez 4-7, Joseph 1-6, Daniels 0-1). Rebounds – X 35 (Freemantle 9), P 34 (Mela 10). Assists – X 17 (Swain 4, Conwell 4), P 16 (Joseph 7).

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25