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A Tale of Two Halves: Second Half Meltdown Leads to Friars Getting Swept by Red Storm

The Friars were looking to build upon a strong effort against Xavier to wrap up the last week of the regular season. In the first half the Friars seemed poised to do so, taking an 11-point lead into the break. In a season full of bad second halves, the Friars saved their best (worst) for this one. St John’s would outscore PC 51-26 in the second stanza to win 81-67. Let’s look at what went wrong.

Refreshed Friars Beat Xavier 83-68

Providence returned to the floor for the first time in 8 days and put together a complete performance against the Xavier Musketeers. PC was led in scoring by Noah Horchler, who finished with a season-high 20 points. Xavier is a good team fighting for an at large, yet the Friars played with more desperation. For Xavier it’s one they almost can’t afford to lose. For PC it is something to build upon as they wrap up the regular season and make preparations for MSG. Here are the takeaways.

Friars Fall to UConn 73-61: Season Almost Over

For one team it felt like a new beginning, and the other it felt like the end. UConn had their star guard return to action, and the Huskies put together one of their more complete performances all year. For the Friars, the loss feels like it has put an end for any at large tournament hopes. Let’s look at the themes in the loss.

Friars Look to Sweep UCONN and Position Itself for NCAA Tournament Bid: Game Preview

The Friars will make the trip to Storrs, CT Tuesday night (6:30pm FS1) looking to sweep UConn for the first time since the 2007-2008 season. It sounds as if James Bouknight should return for the Huskies, based off the initial Vegas line of -6.5 for UCONN. UCONN also looked good in a win at Xavier over the weekend, so it certainly won’t be an easy task for the Friars.

If you missed it, we’ve included below the game 1 preview and recap:

UCONN Game 1 Preview: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2021/02/09/providence-uconn-preview-the-return-of-the-huskies/#more-3227

UCONN Game 1 Recap: https://theprovidencecrier.com/2021/02/11/pc-uconn-recap-friars-snap-3-game-skid-70-59/#more-3240

With 4 games remaining in the regular season, Providence at a minimum has to go 3-1 to keep their NCAA hopes alive. There is a lot on the line for this game.

PC – UConn Recap: Friars Snap 3 Game Skid, 70-59

It wasn’t the most ideal situation for the Friars to welcome back UConn. The team were losers of three straight and seven of their last nine. Instead of playing in a sold-out Dunkin Donuts Center they were playing in an empty Alumni Hall. PC certainly made the most of it with a hard fought and well earned 70-59 victory over the Connecticut Huskies. Here’s the takeaways from Wednesday late afternoon’s game

Friars Lifeless 2nd Half Do Them In Vs Hall

Cooley Month is not off to a great start. The Friars fell to Seton Hall, 60-43 at Alumni Hall on Wednesday night, in a game that was critical both both teams. PC (9-9, 5-7) now find themselves losers of 2 straight, 6 of 8 , and with a .500 record. Let’s take a look at what went down.

Duke Dazzles, Friars Fend Off Marquette in OT

If there are must win games in January, this may have been one of them for the Friars. PC went through a rugged stretch of the schedule where they found themselves losers of five of six. With Marquette having the same 8-7 record going in, plus the win over PC a few weeks back, the Friars had to win this one. Even though it took overtime they did just that, beating Marquette 72-63 at Alumni Hall. Let’s see how the Friars got it done.

Providence Crier Podcast- 1/25

Friars Beat #11 Creighton – Watson Dominates, Breed Emerges

The Friars (8-6, 4-4) really needed that one. PC was riding a three game losing streak that saw them get beat at the buzzer twice and then fade late against Marquette. It couldn’t have come at a worse time with road trips to #11 Creighton and #3 Villanova looming for the Friars. Similarly to last year’s squad, these guys know how to play when their backs are up against the wall. PC beat Creighton in Omaha Wednesday night with a 74-70 victory. The Friars really responded in this first of two road tests and you gotta give the players and coaches credit.

Creighton at Providence Preview

The Friars are off to a 3-1 start in Big East play and now have an opportunity to get their first signature win of the season. The #11 Creighton Blue Jays (7-2, 3-1 BE) come to town for a noon tip that will be aired nationally on Fox. The Blue Jays are led by preseason Big East POY Marcus Zegarowski and have a team that returned five of their six leading scorers from last season. Let’s take a look at some themes for this one.