It was the Providence defense that ended the losing streak at Mohegan for your Providence Friars. Just as we all expected.
In a game where the offense couldn’t get on track for the majority of the game, it was the defensive efforts from the Friars that ultimately secured the victory.
While the twelve point victory is going to look great from a metrics perspective, this game was within one or two possessions for almost the entirety of the 40 minutes. Providence went into half up 1 and built a double digit lead quickly into the second half on the back of transition points, buckets around the rim, and defensive stops, but it was the lull in offensive output and missed 3 after missed 3 that allowed Penn State to hang around.
With about 2 minutes remaining, Providence was up 3…and then Stefan Vaaks took over. I’ll let the below do his takeover justice.
For the Friars, this was a needed victory for the entire basketball program. Kim English made mention of that in his postgame as he acknowledged how well the Friars fans travel to a neutral site game.
It’s easy to have a strong fanbase when everything is clicking, but to have this type of attendance an hour plus from campus when your team is 3-2 is a true testament to the quality of this fanbase.
Now, Providence gears up for a huge weekend in San Diego. They face off against Wisconsin on Turkey Day and then face the winner of reigning national champion Florida and the Jayden Pierre led Horned Frogs.
Before all that, we’ll highlight below just how the Friars were able to get this victory against the Nittany Lions.
Revisiting Keys to Game
Who Guards Mingo?
The prevailing theme in this recap article is going to be the defense showing up. This right here is Exhibit A. Mingo came in leading the Nittany Lions in points, rebounds, and assists. He ended the game with a statline of 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Well done, Friar D.
I particularly like that he attempted 2 3’s, missing both. If you read our pregame article, I implored the Friars to trick him into shooting the 3 ball. He wants to get downhill and get his production in the mid-range and at the rim. Only allowing him to put up 8 total attempts, when he averaged over 13 heading into this one, is just a stellar job by the Friars.
It was a team effort on defense too. English threw a few bodies at him to make him uncomfortable, whether it was Sellers, Floyd, Vaaks, or Edwards.
Him not getting going was one of the primary reasons Providence came out victorious.
Play Downhill if you are Providence
I wish this offensive strategy was more consistently followed in this one. I’ll admit a lot of frustration in the second half watching us build a double digit lead on the backs of paint touches, transition possessions leading to fast break buckets, and seemingly getting to the rim at will, and then Providence seems to deliberately go away from that strategy to bomb 3 after 3.
While I’m thrilled with the victory, it is also okay to be frustrated with the offensive strategy in the second half of going away from something that was so obviously working. PC was bailing out the Penn State defense by hoisting the deep ball, often times early in the shot clock, instead of attacking downhill and beating the Nittany Lions at the rim.
While the end of game heroics by Vaaks was truly legendary, it probably would never have been needed if Providence attacked the rim with more consistency and frequency in the second half. The poor shooting allowed Penn State to hang around when it was apparent they were close to waving the white flag early in the second half.
At the end of the day, a win is a win, but I’d like to see the staff identify earlier what is working and continue to go back to that.
Providence finished 41% from the floor and 18% from 3. Taking away the deep ball attempts, Providence was 61% from inside the arc. Yes, you read that right.
Turnovers Are Critical
I said in the preview article that if Providence can keep their turnovers below double digits and hold Penn State below their season average on field goal percentage, I like Providence to win by 7-12 points. Check.
Penn State came in as one of the best teams nationwide in not turning the basketball over at approximately 7 turnovers a game. They finished this game with 11 turnovers due to the defensive efforts by the Friars.
Additionally, Providence only had seven turnovers (to 15 total assists). It was a truly fantastic job by the Providence team in making Penn State uncomfortable while prioritizing taking care of the basketball on the offensive end.
This stat is part of the reason PC came out on top.
Defend for 40 Minutes
Providence’s defense won them this game. In a night where the shot wasn’t following, Providence did the following to the Nittany Lions:
I won’t belabor this point anymore than I already have, but winning this game due to their defensive efforts will do a heck of a lot more for that locker room than a 100-97 win would have. This shows the Friars can play stellar defense and win BECAUSE of their defense.
This was a big next step for the Providence Friars.
What’s Next
Providence fans are still waiting for the Friars to put together a complete 40 minutes. The next two games would be a great time to see them put it all together, as they have 2 critical non-conference games that are potential resume boosters come March.
I’m cautiously optimistic the win against Penn State will illustrate to the guys in the locker room this team isn’t just some offensive powerhouse that needs to outscore everybody to win. To secure a victory in this gritty of a fashion will go a long way for the Friars.
Providence needs to go 1-1 to stay on pace with a March tournament bid. Get a win against Wisconsin, and you are playing with house money against the defending national champion Florida Gators.
Opportunity is knocking on the door with the Friars. Let’s see if they can seize that opportunity and get a big win on Thanksgiving.
Go Friars.
Intensity on defense was at the forefront of what I saw yesterday but it was far from perfect and could be assessed as good when compared with past efforts. Let’s be clear, on many instances help side defense was either late or non existent. Their on ball defense was a far cry from in your face pressure. Their lack of boxing out on D is still a major problem for a small lineup. In reality if they don’t continue to improve and clean up these mistakes, the Big East schedule is going to be a nightmare this season and I didn’t even mention figuring out how to defend the post screen at the top of the key. Just being real with a thumbs up for effort.
We are not a good 3 point shooting team from what I have seen thus far in the season. That, my fellow Friar friends is a big problem. However, as BOC has stated it can be partially overcome with great defensive play and points in the paint or from midrange. Recently, on a postgame interview Rick Pitino stated the following: I learned one thing when I coached at Providence College: the importance of the 3 point play. Of course he was referring to 1987 when he and Billy “the kid” Donovan brought us to the Final Four for the second time in our history thanks to the 3 pointer. Maybe Vaaks will lead us with his 3 point shot. We certainly have the talent with Edwards, Sellers, Mela, Jones and company. Go Friars!