Providence Friars Basketball

Is it possible to have two coming out parties within 48 hours of each other?  If you are Marshon Brooks, sure why not?

Two days after scoring a career high 18 points against Dartmouth, Marshon Brooks had one of the best shooting nights for a Friar in a long time, going 11-15 from the field and 5-8 behind the arc, on his way to 30 points.  More impressively, Brooks came off the bench, and only played 23 minutes.  The sophomore guard was incredibley efficient in his limited time, putting together an amazing 90 percent eFG percentage.

Hot shooting was the name of the game for the Friars.  The team finally found its stroke from behind the new three-point line, connecting on 13 threes (at 43 percent).   After a 1-10 shooting start, Providence went 40-64 (60.6 percent) for the rest of the game.

Let’s take a gander at the FOUR FACTORS!

Stats by StatSheet.com

“This game was statistically over in the 2nd half with 8:23 left to go.”

As you can see from the chart, the Friars had their best game to date in the eFG% and turnover percentage department.  As expected, PC was able to force a lot of turnovers thanks to 15 steals (five by Marshon Brooks). 

More importantly, the Friars posted their lowest turnover total of the season with 13—much better than their opening game of 21 turnovers, on 20 LESS possesions.  It’s hard to turn over the ball…WHEN IT’S RAINING THREES.

The rebounding differential was very surprising given both teams’ games so far in the season.  Sacred Heart won the battle on the glass 42-38, and even had the offensive rebound advantage of 17-15.

“We definitely played the best offensively but we got out-rebounded by Sacred Heart. Coach wasn’t too happy about that, that makes him mad. We are in the Big East and they just out rebounded us, we didn’t feel too good about that. Other than we played pretty well,” said Marshon Brooks after the game.

For the third straight game, Providence allowed their opponent to operate with an efficiency of over 100.  I’m gonna give the Friars a pass here, because the game was practically (and STATISTICALLY) over with about eight minutes remaining and the Pioneers scored a lot of garbage points.  It’s obviously still a concern though, considering every opponent has over 100 so far.

Stats by StatSheet.com

LET’S SERVE SOME PASTA!

Let’s judge some performances by dishing out some pasta (from 1-4, 4 being awesome). My homage to the Star-Ledger.

Marshon Brooks - Career High 30 F*cking points!  Sacred Heart or no Sacred Heart.  THAT is how you DEBATE!

Sharaud Curry - Welcome to the 2008-09 season Sharaud! Good to see him start to return to form.

Geoff McDermott - Second straight double-double against Sacred Heart.  11 points and 13 boards.

Chauncy Hardy - one of the few good shooting nights from SHU

Joey Henley - The A.C Slater of 2008 (he plays football and track too) couldn’t stay out of foul trouble, but had a great game while he was in.

Randall Hanke

Brian McKenzie

Uh, hey guys, why no double digit scoring??? Sorry, it’s hard to find fault in a blowout, and I am a tough critic.

ELSEWHERE AROUND THE INTERWEBS

Friars.com Recap

StatSheet.com BOXSCORE - THE best boxscores in town

Boring AP Article - It’s about 5 sentences

Projo.com Quick Recap - K to the Mac

Projo.com Full Recap - K to the Mac II

Connecticut Post Recap - Sometimes I feel sorry for the other team’s writeup in a severe blowout.  Oh wait, no I don’t.

OVERALL

Even though they are playing inferior opponents, it’s exciting to see this team put together a game like this.  They’ve done exactly what I’ve been hoping for in the games leading up to Anaheim… improving everything steadily.  In games when they shoot like this, they will be pretty hard to stop (regardless of how their defense performs).  I’m really excited to see if Marshon can continue his excellent play heading into the tournament to get some national exposure!

Three days after an unsettling loss to Northeastern in their season opener, the Friars knew that they had to turn things around rather quickly in order to get this season back on track. 

Tuesday night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, they did exactly that, beating the Dartmouth Big Green 100-82, improving to 1-1 on the season and giving new coach Keno Davis his first win as a Friar coach.

After inconsistent play on Saturday, several Friars stepped it up last night.  However, one player stood head and shoulders over the rest.

Sophomore Marshon Brooks led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds, both career highs, while adding three blocks.  His long wingspan suits him well on the defensive side of the ball, and Coach Davis will certainly use him at any position at any given time, given his tenacity and effort. 

For the second straight game, Brooks was the hardest-working player on the court and was rewarded for his efforts.  Brooks slammed home a missed shot and then hit a three-pointer the next possession, getting fouled in the process and converting the four-point play.

Coach Davis sang Brooks' praise last night, saying, "What's going to be tough for other teams to match up with us is when Marshon plays. He can play any position.  We've played him anywhere from the off-guard to the center position already.  We could play very small or we could play bigger.  His versatility and ability to go in and mix it up with offensive rebounding, yet be able to shoot it with good percentage, is going to make him an outstanding player for us."

Last night was also about improving on some negatives that doomed the Friars against Northeastern, namely missing big free throws and turning the ball over needlessly.  On Saturday the Friars were lackluster from the free throw line and committed too many turnovers, but last night they went 31-46 from the line and had 15 turnovers, forcing 17 from Dartmouth. 

What was most impressive, however, was Coach Davis' eight-man rotation, in which all the players in the rotation played at least 20 minutes.  Because of this quick rotation, the scoring was spread out pretty evenly, and seven of the eight players had at least 10 points.

Randall Hanke had a good game, dropping 16 points on 6-7 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds.  Sharaud Curry and Jeff Xavier got it going early, and both had more points in the first half of last night's game than in the loss to the Huskies.

The Friars started the game on a 19-5 run, thanks to an effective full court press that forced some turnovers from Dartmouth, but let that lead slip away.  However, the Big Green were never able to take advantage of Friar miscues and did not lead once in the contest. 

By the end of the game, Coach Davis put in his walk-on players and the game was all but over, giving him his first win for Providence.

Sophomore Alex Kellogg, who missed Saturday's game with a knee injury, warmed up but did not see any action.  Jamine Peterson was in street clothes and freshman Bilal Dixon did not play, as both will most likely be redshirted this season to give Keno Davis more depth come next year, when he will lose several seniors.

The Friars have two more home games this week, hosting Sacred Heart on Thursday and then Maine on Saturday.

Well, I think it’s about time I spring 10 bones a month for the All-Access pass. I thought I could get by with ChannelSurfing.net, but I missed almost a quarter of the game tonight when the entire site took a dump on itself.  That’s all fine and dandy for a cupcake game in mid-November, but I can’t be having that for the more important non-conference games.  Plus, the window is the size of my pinky toe, and the loudness of the audio makes my ears bleed even though the volume is at %1.  Oh wait, All-Access blows ass sometimes too — I remember missing the first half of our season opener last year.  Look, I’m not trying to use an illegal service to save money, I just want to watch my fucking team play basketball.  The fact that I can’t pay for a service on my REAL tv to watch ALL the games from my one team is just stupid.

Anyway, I saw enough of the game to see Dartmouth hit a shitload of open threes while simultaneously fouling a Friar every chance they could get.  When the smoke cleared, SEVEN PC players scored in double figures (Jonathan Kale must feel quite left out), lead by a career night from Sophomore Marshon Brooks who had 18 points.  He could have had a nice cool twenty-spot, had he not missed a wide open dunk on a fast break near the end of the game.  Oh you wise fool.

Hanke had a solid game with 16 points (6-7 from the field) and 9 rebounds.  He seems to always shine in these cupcake OOC games eh?

Brian McKenzie filled out the stat sheet out of respect for the late Geoff McDermott, getting 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.

On to the “Four Factors”!

Stats by StatSheet.com

The foul line was a big factor in the game, as Dartmouth committed 32 fouls, sending Providence to the line 46 times (30 in the second half).  Even though they only hit 31 (for 67.4%), the Friars only had 13 fouls, which resulted in 14 Dartmouth free throw attempts.

Despite the success on offense and on the glass (26 ORB vs Dartmouth’s 12), the Friars should be concerned with the defensive effort letting Dartmouth score 82 points in 80 possessions.  Alex Barnett was as good as advertised (he will be up for player of the year in the Ivy League), hitting 5 three pointers on his way to a game high 28 points.  PC was able to force a lot of turnovers early on with their press, but Dartmouth was able to stay out of “blow-out” range for most of their game with their hot shooting from behind the arc (12-26).  Some pesky freshman named Trotter was 3/4 from downtown, and a sophomore, Ronnie Dixon, was a perfect 3 for 3.

Stats by StatSheet.com

ROSTER NOTES

1. Alex Kellogg was in uniform for the game.  His MRI turned out OK.

2. Bilal Dixon did not play (possible redshirt?)

3. All 4 Walkons came in for the last minute (Baudinet, Beloin, Burchett, Heine). Connor Heine scored a bucket for the team’s 100th point of the game.

CONTRATULATIONS

1. Keno Davis, for your first win ever at Providence College!

2. Weyinmi Efejuku for becoming the 38th Friar to reach 1,000 career points!

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. What’s the deal with McDermott?

2. Are we really redshirting Dixon? AND Peterson? Um, what?

3. Where are my kegel muscles?

AROUND THE INTERWEBS

Friars.com recap

StatSheet.com Boxscore

CBS Sportsline recap

Projo.com - Brooks has coming out party for PC in win over Dartmouth

Projo.com - A Band of Eight gets the job done

McNamara’s Post-game blog entry

FoxSports recap

Sports Network Recap

BIG EAST TIDBIT

1. St. John’s lost to BC tonight! Yay, we aren’t the only BIG EAST team to lose this year!

OVERALL

Overall, I’m happy with the win.  Yeah, Dartmouth is a horrible team and we let them score 82 points.   Obviously it’s a concern, but their offense made some improvements and they cut down on their turnovers in the second half of the game.  Two more games of improvements during the cupcake games, and they will be ready for Anaheim!. I’d like to see more consistency in the half-court offense, but I like how they were aggressive and got themselves to the line frequently.   Curry still seemed rusty again, so he’s got a few games to get back into the grove.  McDermott?  Well, to be honest I’m not really sure what’s going on with him.

PC’s next game is Thursday Night at 7PM vs. Sacred Heart.

In front of a raucous crowd, the Friars looked to start off the Keno Davis era with a bang.

Instead, they looked lost at times, and due to inconsistent play and turnovers lost to the Northeastern Huskies 70-66 on Saturday night. 

Northeastern played well throughout the game, taking the lead midway through the first half and holding off the Friars down the stretch to earn the upset victory.  The Friars were able to tie the game late in the second half but could not get the defensive stops they needed to shut down the persistent Huskies.

Matt Janning had a game-high 24 points and forward Eugene Spates added 17, each making big shots in the second half to stop the Friars from coming back.

The newly renovated Dunkin' Donuts Center was electric to start the game, as the expanded student section was excited to welcome new coach Keno Davis, giving him the classic, Ke-no Da-vis clap clap clapclapclap chant before the game started.  Davis was fired up on the sideline, and with good reason.

The Friars started the game well and probably played well enough to win if it wasn't for all their turnovers.  Possessions were cut short time and time again as errant passes down low bounced out of bounds.  The Friars looked sloppy at times while handling the ball, dribbling the ball off their feet and turning the ball over needlessly.  The 21 turnovers as a team did not help their chances of winning.

Also, they had mediocre foul shooting down the stretch, going 8-16 from the line in the second half.  The Friars were also victimized by questionable calls from the officials, killing all kinds of momentum late in the game. 

The Friars were able to overcome these obstacles and tied the game at 57 on a Geoff McDermott three-pointer with 4:32 to play.  However, a quick three by Northeastern gave them the lead once again.  The Friars tied it again at 63 on a three-point play by Weyinmi Efejuku with 2:13 to play, but once again it was a Northeastern three-pointer that shifted the momentum back to the visiting Huskies.

The Friars simply could not defend the Huskies' best players, something that frustrated Coach Davis and the fans in attendance.  Their inconsistent performance was telling of this team's inability to master the offense at this stage of the season. 

Consider these numbers. 

Point guard Sharaud Curry, who is coming back from a foot injury, had just two points on 1-8 shooting.  The enigmatic Weyinmi Efejuku led the Friars with 16 points but turned the ball over six times.  Jon Kale, the Friars' emotional leader, had 15 points but went 3-7 from the line, missing free throws in key spots.  Sharpshooter Jeff Xavier had only three points on 1-5 shooting. 

If these numbers tell us anything, it is that the Friars are not getting their best players the ball enough times in a possession.  Too many times, a player would try to drive through multiple defenders, only to lose control of the ball. 

On a lighter note, Marshawn Brooks played well, using his intensity to grab several key rebounds and forcing several turnovers.  I would say that he and Kale were the team's top two performers Saturday night, along with Brian McKenzie who made some big shots late in the game, keeping the Friars close.

This team is clearly at their best when they have intensity on their side, and lackadaisical play by Efejuku and Curry will do nothing but bring this team down. 

The Friars' defense looked better than it did in the preseason, but if they want to get back on track, they have to beat Dartmouth tonight at the Dunk.  If the Friars want a shot at the big dance in March, they have to beat teams that they are supposed to beat.  Although they looked average against Northeastern, I expect them to fully recover this week.

At the small Big East school in Providence, Rhode Island, there is a team eager to prove that last year's 15-16 season was beneath its talents. The Providence College Friars men's basketball team is revamped and ready to charge toward a season that could unfold into a surprising success.

The team returns five seniors who have all played significant roles since coming to Providence, including Geoff McDermott and Jeff Xavier. They also have Weyinmi Efejuku, who has the ability to put together a senior season that could catapult him to the 2009 NBA Draft. The Friars' three other seniors are Randall Hanke, a 6'11" center with the ability to torture the glass, and Jonathan Kale, the beast of the paint.

The Friars have also added the 2008 Sporting News and Associated Press Coach of the Year in Keno Davis. Davis became a head coach in 2007 at Drake University and took a team picked to finish ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference to a regular season championship and tournament championship. Drake also made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1971, as a No. 5 seed. Providence hired Davis on April 15, 2008, for a seven-year contract worth $7 million.

The last time this much anticipation was in Providence was when "Billy the Kid" Donovan teamed up with a young coach named Rick Pitino and together sparked a team that went to the 1987 NCAA Final Four.

This 2008-09 season could very well show the same exciting run that was made 21 years ago. The Friars have a team that goes nine- to 10-men deep and can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc. They will look to Davis to instill pressure defense and spread the floor out on the offensive side of the ball.

This team has the talent and could contest to be in the top six of the Big East when playing at its full potential, possibly making a run at the Final Four. To do this seems nearly impossible, right? Well, 21 years ago it seemed impossible to think Rick Pitino and Billy Donovan could make such magic happen in a little city, in a little state.

Prediction: If the Friars play at their absolute best, Elite Eight is within reach.

The black cloud is gone.

For the first time in years, Friar fans have something to be excited about.  Keno Davis, the 2008 Coach of The Year has signed on as the Friars' new Men's Basketball Coach, bringing with him new energy and focus, something missing from the program in recent years. 

Davis has the unenviable task of coaching in the Beg East conference, easily the toughest conference in the country in terms of competition as well as style of play.  However, Coach Davis is confident that he can make his players rise to the occasion and compete with the best. 

Along with the new coaching staff, the Friars will be playing in the newly renovated Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence.  The state of the art arena will be sure to bring more excitement and intensity to the already exciting conference schedule. 

The Friars have talent at most positions, but it has been getting that talent to work together that has been the problem in recent years.  Far too many times, players have disappeared from games altogether, played lacadaisical defense, and not made the extra pass.  This year is a fresh start for both Davis and the program, as the roster looks to be much different next year.

This year the Friars will feature six seniors in big-time roles which is much different from last year when the only senior was forward Charles Burch.  Point guard Sharaud Curry, hampered by injuries last season, will remain a junior and extend his period of eligibility.  Geoff McDermott was also injured last year and the Friars are counting on the senior forward to be a leader both as a scorer and as a rebounder. 

Guard Weyinmi Efejuku also is facing a great deal of responsibility, as he is the barometer for the Friars.  Throughout his entire career it seems that when he has a big game, the Friars usually come through with a win, as evidenced in his 26 point performance at UCONN two seasons ago. 

However, he rarely plays with intensity when he is not scoring and struggles at times when guarding other quick and athletic Big East guards.  Keno Davis has to correct this problem, as the explosive Efejuku is integral to the Friars success in the competitive Big East.

The Friars are buoyed by two sophomores who are key to the Friars' depth.  Jamine Peterson, a 6-6 forward from Brooklyn averaged a menial 4.7 points last season and 2.9 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game. 

Marshon Brooks, a 6-5 guard/forward from Georgia averaged nine minutes and scored 3.4 points per game, including two 15 point performances versus Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.  Both should see more minutes this year and will have to contribute especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Friars still have some glaring weaknesses on the team this season, most notably the center position.  Senior Randall Hanke and junior Ray Hall must play the best basketball of their collegiate careers in order to give the Friars a chance in the smash mouth Big East Conference. 

The Friars have been snake bitten by the underwhelming performances of both players over the years, as they have been exposed by the bigger and quicker centers and forwards in the Big East.  Their offense is not as necessary to the Friars success as their defense is something that Keno Davis has to hammer home to both Hall and Hanke.

The Friars have an easy non-conference schedule, but will participate in the Anaheim Classic starting with a game against Baylor.  They also will be playing in state rival URI at home after an embarrassing loss last year, as well as Boston College on the road. 

Their Big East schedule is pretty much the same as last years, but the Friars will play back to back home games versus Notre Dame and Pittsburgh in the last week of February. Both of these games have potential NCAA tournament implications.

I expect a NCAA berth from Providence, as the Keno era begins with a bang.

The Providence Friars have a rich history, and while they have never won a National Championship, they have been home to some of the game's all-time greats.

Here is the Providence College all-time lineup.  There are some snubs, no doubt, but each of these players contributed in a major way to Providence's legacy.

Guard: Jimmy Walker

Walker is one of the game's greatest mysteries.  He averaged 23 points as a junior and led the nation with 30 points per game during his senior year.  Walker is the Friar's second all-time scoring leader with 2,045 points, all without the benefit of a three-point line.  He was a three-time All-American.

Guard: Ernie DeGregorio

The slick point guard helped the Friars dramatically from 1971-73.  He is PC's all-time assist leader with 267 and eighth all-time leading scorer with 1,760 career points.  He was also a three-time All-American and ended up winning the Lapchick as the nation's most outstanding senior.

Forward: Marvin Barnes

"Bad News" had a lot of negative attention off the court, but on the court he was a force.  Barnes averaged 17.9 rebounds per game and even had a game when he grabbed 34 boards. 

Forward: Ryan Gomes

After UCONN snubbed him, he made life a living hell for Big East opponents.  He is the Friars' all-time leading scorer and was named to several first team All-American lists following his remarkable junior season.

Center: Marty Conlon

Conlon was a member of the team's Final Four run.  A journeyman in the NBA, Conlon played with several teams.

Bench 

Lenny Wilkens

Austin Croshere

Jamel Thomas

Dickey Simpkins

John Linehan

While watching the first two rounds of March Madness this weekend, I got in the mood to think back to all of my favorite Cinderella stories and buzzer beaters. 

One of my favorite aspects of college hoops is the fact that there are over 300 Division I Men's Basketball programs. Moreover, the fan base of each team is not always as geographically finite as the boundary of your average professional sports franchise. 

For instance, I am a Syracuse Orange fan because of family ties, despite growing up during a great stretch for more local favorites (UMass and UConn). 

Don't be afraid to add heart wrenching stories of defeat. Anything goes. Whether you're a George Mason fan or alumnus of Florida.

Whether you have celebrated recent success, or your team is going through a drought, and March forces you to go through your own catalogue of mental highlights from yesteryear... we all have a favorite moment, story, or team, that they recall every year, around this time.

Now's your chance to share your favorite college hoop memories with the rest of us.  This experiment will only be as strong as the contributions.  So, comment early and reply often. 

I'd love to get a dialogue going about some of our favorite moments (or in some cases, least favorite moments).

Now for our Disclaimer:

I know we sometimes get heated when discussing our favorite/most hated teams, but let's try to keep it respectful and offer solid commentary when posting. 

Please refrain from posts that simply state, "Duke sucks" (whether I may personally agree or not) or "UCLA rocks." If they do not add constructively to the conversation, then please leave them out. 

I'm not saying we can't sling a little mud at the programs we "hate", but make sure to add some content to the argument as well. 

Get creative—tell us where you were, how it happened, how you celebrated.  Anything you'd like, but be sure to add to the conversation and give specifics (years are especially helpful if at all possible).

I'm still trying to figure out what to make of WVU's 58-53 win over Providence in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

WVU shot only 64 percent from the free-throw line and committed 17 turnovers. Star shooter Alex Ruoff was only two-for-eight and scored five points. Worse, he was only one-for-seven shooting three-point attempts. WVU was only 3-15 shooting threes.

In the first half, the announcers correctly noted that WVU looked sluggish and sloppy. I counted WVU turnovers on four straight possessions from bad passes into traffic and other casual ball-handling.

WVU was lucky to manage at tie at halftime, thanks to a three-pointer by Joe Alexander at the buzzer.

Yet, Coach Bob Huggins was interestingly upbeat after the game, saying he was happy with his team's defensive effort. For the game, Providence shot only 42 percent and was held without a field goal for the final seven minutes.

Today's effort and results—a five-point win over the tourney's 12th-seed—does not make me optimistic heading into today's game against number two seeded UConn.

But maybe Huggins saw something I didn't.

  

The last eight days have been extremely tough on the Georgetown Hoyas. Having lost two of their last three, the Hoyas went into today's game against Providence looking to rebuild some confidence.

Georgetown came into today's game having lost two of the last three and winning a game on a controversial call against Villanova last Monday.

On the other side, Providence had some serious problems of their own. The Friars had lost seven of their last eight. Providence was also in need of some confidence as they are looking to built a strong case for the NIT tournament.

First Four Minutes: After winning the tip the Hoyas were out and running early. The Hoyas used their inside game to score four early points in the paint. Providence responded to the two early layups with a couple jump shots to tie the game. A Georgetown three ball gave the Hoyas an early 7-4 lead with 16 minutes left to play in the first half.

Second Four Minutes: Having built a 7-4 lead, the Hoyas went cold by missing their next three shots and turning the ball over once. After a providence three, Georgetown responded with a three of their own to retake a 10-7 lead. Two Mckenzie free throws pulled the Friars back within one at 10-9. A Georgetown free throw and a Providence jump shot tied the game at 11 with 12 minutes left.

Third Four Minutes: A Hoyas layup gave them a 13-11 advantage before the second official TV timeout at 11:21 left. Jessie Sapp scored six early points for the Hoyas but was challenged by Providences Weyinmi Efejuku, who had five. After an Efejuku jump shot ,the Friars tied the game at 13. A 7-0 Hoyas run was capped by a ridiculous ally oop with 9:04 left giving the Hoyas a 20-13 lead heading towards the eight minute mark.

Fourth Four Minutes: Providence started the next four minutes with a nice transition layup by Marshon Brooks to cut the lead to five. After a Hoyas turnover the Friars used multiple opportunities to get a jumper from the free line and McDermott cut the lead to tree. Georgetown responded on their next possession with a Roy Hibbert layup that pushed the Hoyas lead to 22-17 with 6:15 left. Efejuku continued his hot shooting by hitting a deep three, moving his point total to 10 and cutting the Hoyas lead to just two points. A Jeff Xavier three ball gave the Friars their first lead since 2-0.  Then Wallace responded with a quick two on the other end to give the Hoyas the lead back at 24-23. Efejuku continued his dominating play making two free throws to give Providence another lead at 25-24 with 4:22 left in the first half.

Last Four Minutes: A Georgetown dunk was countered by a one of two effort at the free throw line by Marshon Brooks, tying the game at 26. Wallace and Efeujuku exchanged threes that brought the game back to a 29-29 tie, with just over two minutes left. The three point basket for the Friars gave Efeujuku 15 points in the first half. Jamine Peterson converted on one of two free throws to give the Friars another lead at 30-29, closing out the first half.

HALFTIME SCORE: Providence 30 #11 Georgetown 29

Fun Stat From the Game: Georgetown's Vernon Macklin went 0-2 from the free thrown line in the first putting his total for the year at 8-38. Macklin is now shooting just 21% from the free thrown line this year and 30% for his career. Efejuku's 15 points pushed him over 900 points for his three year career at Providence.

SECOND HALF

First Four Minutes: Providence started the half right, leaving off by slamming home an early dunk before the Hoyas responded with a Hibbert basket on the other end. Providence scored another basket in the paint and then switched up the defense on the other end by going to a 2-3 zone. Georgetown responded to the change by scoring four straight points that gave the Hoyas a 35-34 lead. Providence responded the mini run with one of their own by scoring four straight points in the paint and pushing the lead back to three.

Second Four Minutes: Providence sustained the run by draining a deep three that gave them a 41-35 lead forcing he Hoyas to use a timeout. Georgetown responded out of the timeout by scoring six straight points on two threes to tie the game at 41 with thirteen minutes left. The two teams traded baskets keep the tie going into the third four minutes

Third Four Minutes: Jonathon Wallace cashed his third straight three, giving the Hoyas a six point advantage and forcing a Providence timeout. The next three put the Hoyas on a 13-2 run, giving them a game high nine point lead. Providence answered with a huge three point basket to cut it to six, trying to regain some momentum.

Fourth Four Minutes: After two Hoyas free throws, Providence hit a three pointer to cut the lead to five with just under seven minutes left. The Hoyas' good luck continued the next possession when a loose ball bounced right to Roy Hibbert under the basket for an easy eight footer. Georgetown extended their run with two free throws pushing the lead back to nine. Georgetown scored another layup giving them a 6-0 run that was broken the next possession by two Friar free throws.

Last Four Minutes: Every possession in the last four minutes ran under 16 seconds on the shot clock for Georgetown, which snuffed any hopes of a comeback for the Friars. Georgetown outscored the Friars in the second half by eleven points to give the Hoyas a 68-58 win.

Georgetown improved to 21-4 with the win and moved to 11-3 in Big East, giving them sole possession of first place. The loss dropped Providence to 3-10 in the conference and 13-13 overall. The loss was the Friars eighth in their last nine tries.