Tag: Friar Sports
Softball Player Sets New School Record for All-Time Hits
by The Cowl Editor on April 11, 2019
Friar Sports
Emma Lee ’19 solidified her name in Providence College history this past weekend in an away series against Big East rivals Villanova University. The right fielder for the PC Softball Team broke the program’s all-time hit record with her 215th career hit.
During the first of two games that would take place on April 6, Lee notched a team-high three hits in the 2-1 win over the Wildcats. The team was unable to continue that momentum going into the second game of the day as they fell 4-0 and into the next day as they would lose the series against Villanova in a 6-0 loss.
Despite the unfavorable outcome, Lee had a very successful series. She concluded the weekend with a .556 batting average and 1.000 slugging percentage. Lee also hit two impressive doubles and a triple. Due to her success over the weekend, Lee was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll.
Heading into her final games as a Friar, Lee said that her personal goal for the season is to “just have fun playing the game I love with all of my teammates besides me. These four years have gone by so fast and I would like to take advantage of every second.”
Men’s Hockey Still Dancing
by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019
Friar Sports
Team Heads to the Frozen Four for the Fifth Time in Program History
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Hockey Team entered the NCAA Hockey Tournament as the fourth and lowest seed in the East Regional. The Friars were quite fortunate to be selected into the East Regional, which was hosted by Brown University within the friendly confines of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The region also consisted of Minnesota State, Northeastern University, and Cornell University. For its first matchup of the tournament, PC was paired up with #1-seed Minnesota State, who entered the regional semifinal having never won an NCAA tournament game in school history. Despite lacking a win at any point in its team’s history, Minnesota State entered its semifinal game against PC looking like a team that could make a deep run in this year’s NCAA hockey tournament.
On Saturday, March 30, PC men’s hockey took the ice at the Dunk to play Minnesota State in the first round of the East Regional. Although PC was technically the underdog, the team had the privilege of playing at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, just a few minutes away from its regular home at Schneider Arena. Despite practically playing a home game, the Friars had a poor start to the game. In just under 12 minutes of game play in the first period, PC conceded three consecutive goals to Minnesota State. Down 3-0 to the Mavericks, it looked as though PC had dug itself a hole which could not be escaped. However, after Josh Wilkins ’20 scored a power play goal towards the end of the first period to cut Minnesota State’s lead to 3-1, the Dunkin Donuts’ Center came back to life and the game felt brand new.
Entering the second period down 3-1 instead of 3-0, PC showed absolutely no signs of distress or panic. At 4:37 in the second period, Vimal Sukumaran ’20 scored on an assist from Ryan Tait ’19 to cut Minnesota State’s lead to 3-2 and excite the crowd at the Dunk even more. After this, the Friars scored another power play goal, this time by Kasper Björkqvist ’20. From that point on, the Friars continued its scoring run, adding three more goals by Tyce Thompson ’22, Wilkins, and an empty-net goal by Jason O’Neill ’21. PC beat Minnesota State by a final score of 6-3, and would go on to play Cornell University on Sunday in the East Regional final.
After what was a sluggish start to Saturday’s semifinal matchup against Minnesota State, the Friars made sure not to do the same against Cornell, who had beaten Northeastern 5-1 the previous day. In Sunday’s East Regional final, PC scored early and often, and combined an outstanding offensive effort with excellent defense and a great performance by goaltender Hayden Hawkey ’19. PC beat Cornell 4-0 with goals by Greg Printz ’21, Wilkins, Scott Conway ’19, and Brandon Duhaime ’20. With the win, PC advanced to the Frozen Four in Buffalo, New York. This year’s Frozen Four consists of PC, Hockey East foe University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and the University of Denver. The first-round matchups are set to take place on Thursday, April 11 with PC playing Minnesota Duluth at 5 p.m. and UMass playing Denver at 8:30 p.m.
PC has a tough matchup ahead, as Minnesota Duluth is ranked the #2 overall team in the NCAA. However, PC has won in similar situations before. In 2015, PC advanced to the Frozen Four as a 4-seed and beat Boston University in the title game to win the National Championship. The other matchup features UMass and #4 Denver. PC and UMass are quite familiar with each other, as the two teams have met three times this season, and PC has a 1-2 record against the Minutemen. If both UMass and PC advance to the National Championship, there is no telling who would prevail in the Hockey East battle for the national title.
Men’s Basketball Roster Features a New Face
by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Welcome UMass Player Luwane Pipkins After Two PC Players Decide to Transfer
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
After a season of ups and downs for the Providence College Men’s Basketball program, it is time to recruit and make big decisions for the program. Ed Cooley knows first hand that the team needs to be reevaluated to see what can be done for the future of the Friars.
After the National Invitational Tournament first round loss to the University of Arkansas, Cooley stated to press “We didn’t have it this year—not a year that I’m happy about. To me, it’s unacceptable. I have to do a much better job with the group. We have to look at our program and evaluate it as to what we need going forward…Along the way, we have to change some things. We’re looking for players who can help the Friars, period.”
The changes began with the announcement of redshirt forward Drew Edwards ’19 transferring from PC to another school as a graduate transfer. The school at which he will be playing has yet to be announced, but the entire student body will miss his hard work on the court and dedication to the game.
Late in March, the news spread around Providence like wildfire that University of Massachusetts of Amherst Guard Luwane Pipkins would transfer to PC. He will come to the school as a fifth-year graduate transfer, which will make him immediately eligible for the upcoming 2019-2020 basketball season.
Pipkins took to Twitter to announce the news, tweeting “I just want to say thanks to all the coaches that contacted me during this time, but after careful consideration, I have decided to use my last year of eligibility to play for coach Ed Cooley and the Providence Friars.” When asked about why he was joining PC, he stated “Basically, I felt a connection with Coach Cooley and his staff…They kept it real from the start and were very honest with me.”
Some websites even have Pipkins as a projected starter for next season alongside Providence guard David Duke ’22. Last season at UMass, Pipkins averaged 16 points per game, alongside 4.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists. These stats, along with veteran leadership will be of great use to the team.
Twenty-four hours after the announcement of Pipkins, rumors began swirling that sophomore point guard Makai Ashton-Langford ’21 was looking to transfer from Providence. Soon after, Ashton-Langford took to his social media thanking the staff and school for the last two years as well as his supporters from the student body, and officially announcing his transfer.
Originally committed to play at the University of Connecticut after high school, Ashton-Langford had then de-committed from the program to join the Friars. After a tough freshman season, this season offered Ashton-Langford more opportunities to show his playmaking skills that he displayed in high school. However he was still only able to average 3.7 points. 1.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season.
The Friars will now head into next season with their depth chart at point guard looking like Pipkens, Duke, and Maliek White ’20 as players who will be trusted to bring the ball up the court.
Men’s Lacrosse Enters the Second Half of Their Season
by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019
Friar Sports
Team Already Matches Win Total from 2018
By Liza Sisk ’19
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team is heading into the second half of the 2019 season with a 5-5 record. The second half of the season ushers in a focus on conference play. Four of the next five games for the Friars are against Big East competitors.
The Friars defeated their first in-conference competitor, St. John’s University, on March 30. The team traveled to Queens, New York and took on the Red Storm in a nail biting game. The Friars secured an impressive 8-7 overtime victory, advancing their record to 5-5 and 1-0 in league play.
St. John’s was first to score, however, Kevin McCordic ’20 quickly answered, tying the game with his third goal of the season. The second quarter showcased the offensive prowess of the Friars with Tim Hinrichs ’20, of Amherst, New Hampshire, scoring back-to-back goals giving the Friars a 3-1 lead.
The third and fourth quarters brought a fury of goals for both the Friars and the Red Storm ending regulation play with a 7-7 score. With 1:12 left in overtime, Hinrichs netted yet another goal, assisted by Matt Grillo ’22 of Setauket, New York.
Goalie Tate Boyce ’19 faced 24 shots on goal, tallying up 17 saves. Boyce was also named as a finalist for the Senior Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School Award. Ten NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse student-athletes are distinguished as candidates for the award. To be qualified for nomination, a player must have notable achievements in community, classroom, character, and competition. Head Coach Chris Gabrielli describes Boyce as “a true game and program changer.” The award is determined by nationwide fan voting, and the winner is announced during the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship in May. Boyce is a three-time captain for the program, pursuing a degree in marketing. When asked about his goals for the team and for himself this season, Boyce said, “I am hoping to do something we have never done in my previous three seasons, and that’s win a Big East Championship.”
The Friars are looking to maintain this momentum as they delve deeper into conference play. The team will be facing Georgetown University on April 6, at home, to kick off this portion of their season. April also brings competition against Marquette University, cross-city rival Brown University, University of Denver, and Villanova University. Other than a trip to Denver on April 20, the Friars will be competing in Providence for the duration of the regular season.
Duncan McGinnis ’19, of Menlo Park, California, said, “The team’s goal this season is to win a Big East Championship and continue playing into the NCAA tournament in May.” He is particularly looking forward to the game against Brown University on April 16.
The road to the Big East Championship will be a tough one for the Friars. The rest of their Big East schedule consists of teams with winning records, which includes Georgetown, who is the first team to seven wins.
Friars Come Up Short at Madison Square Garden
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Friar Sports
Providence College Misses NCAA Tournament for First Time in Six Years
By Sullivan Burgess
Sports Staff
The last week has been quite eventful for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team. From the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden to the National Invitational Tournament at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the team experienced ups and downs that ultimately closed the season, which had also been a rollercoaster.
On Wednesday, March 13, the team, ranked as the eighth seed for the Big East Tournament, faced conference rivals Butler University. After a close first half, the Friars began to pull away and defeat Butler 80-57. Shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from the three point line. The last time the team shot this well was in 1993 against the University of Connecticut.
Four players achieved double digits in points during this game. The leader was guard Maliek White ’20. White had a consistent and career-high 19 points providing a spark throughout the entire game, being the team’s go-to player. Alpha Diallo ’20 also scored 18 points with two threes, David Duke ’22 recorded 16 points shooting 6-8 from the field and 2-3 from the three. Lastly, Isaiah Jackson ’19RS, came off the bench with another performance of clutch shooting for 13 points.
The next day for the first game of the quarterfinals, the Friars had to face the top-seed team of the tournament and #23-ranked team Villanova University. While the Friars kept the pace for most of the game, they ultimately failed and lost the game, 62-73.
The team was led in scoring by Nate Watson ’21 with 15 points, and more double digit scoring from Diallo and Jackson. After the game, Coach Cooley said to the press, “Our youth and mistakes on the floor came back to bite us all day…We play hard as hell and are right in these games and then you can’t score enough. It’s a microcosm of our season.”
Villanova would go on to win the Big East Tournament, earning the title of back to back champions of the tournament and guaranteeing their place in the 2019 March Madness NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, back in Providence, the Friars had to wait and watch for their placement in either the March Madness Tournament or the NIT.
Cooley was open to the media about the possibility of being selected for the NIT, stating, “We earned exactly what we got this year. If we get into the NIT, I’ll be excited about it because I still want to play with this young group. If we don’t, we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror. We deserved to be in that 8-9 (Big East) game. That was our body of work.”
Four Big East schools were selected for the March Madness tournament, including Villanova, Seton Hall University, Marquette University, and St. John’s University. Later that night, the Friars were selected to host the University of Arkansas as the fourth seed for the NIT hosted at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
The day came on Tuesday night, and sadly the Friars’ struggle throughout the season came back to haunt them as they fell to Arkansas, 72-84. While White put another career high of 19 points, the team shot 38.7 percent from the field goal, and 13 percent from the three point line.
The back and forth season came to a close, leaving the team at a record of 18-16. It was certainly not the season the coach or players had hoped for, but the pieces are in place for the team to be successful next season.
Millie Paladino ’19 Races to Success
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Athlete of the Week
Paladino has Highest Finish for PC Since 1994
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Coeditor
For the first time since 1994, Millie Paladino ’19RS became the highest mile finisher from Providence College to place at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Placing third in the nation in an event that only 16 people nationwide qualified for, Paladino ran a 4:38.44 mile, a time that also earned her First Team All-America Honors.
Having been told by Head Coach Ray Treacy that she could finish anywhere from eighth to first, Paladino says that she was “really happy and proud” of her accomplishment.
“It means a lot for me to do it for the school because it’s one of our highest places in the last couple of years so I think it really puts the team and the program on the map in the NCAA, which is always really good to do,” Paladino commented.
Her third place finish concluded a very tactical race in which Paladino reserved her energy by maintaining a solid seventh place position and then pulling ahead to third in the final 100 meters. To Paladino, the race was more mind over matter as she felt she had to prepare for it more mentally than physically.
“For prep…your physical prep is done [during the season]. You have to really work on telling yourself that you’re good enough to do this and that you’re prepared for this. The whole season has led up to this…I just have to tell myself that it’s not worth it to step on the line if you’re not confident in what you can do. Otherwise, why do it at all?” said Paladino.
Having transferred to PC from West Virginia University after her sophomore year because she felt that she would not get to be the best runner that she could be if she remained there, Paladino primarily chose to join the Friar family due to the success of Coach Treacy.
“He’s the best in the biz!” praised Paladino when talking about Treacy’s influence to come to PC. “I never looked back.”
In her time with the Friars, Paladino has a number of top-three regular season finishes and has consistently been recognized by earning NCAA First Team All-America Honors. At the Big East level, Paladino recently won her third career Big East title when she was crowned 3,000-meter champion—the first Friar to win the event since 2015. She also set a school record for the 1,000-meter race this season with a time that is also the 12th fastest mark in collegiate history.
Paladino’s continued success, especially within this current season, in what she describes as a “day-to-day” sport, has all added up to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association naming Paladino the 2019 Northeast Region Female Track Athlete of the Year.
And while Paladino recognizes that running is very much an individual sport, she does not believe she could have had any of her success without her team.
“I can only do so much on my own…I owe the whole world to [the team] honestly,” says Paladino. “I think people really underestimate the people you are surrounded by and if I didn’t have my teammates to train with throughout the season…I would never have gotten this far.”
On the topic of her teammates, Paladino admitted that the cross country team’s Big East Championship win her junior year is her favorite memory.
“I still wear my ring,” she proudly admitted.
With the winter track season coming to a close, Paladino and the rest of the track teams are gearing up and heading outdoors with the start of the spring season, a season in which Paladino says the only main difference is that things are done outside.
“Mileages stay the same and your focus has to stay the same so your focus does not look that different even though it might,” she comments on going from one season to the other.
With a goal of finishing out her career at PC with an outdoor track Big East Championship title, Paladino also hopes to make it to Nationals again and just “make the most [of her final season].” And with the end in sight, she hopes to keep running and as she gets more “mature” in her running, she plans to up her distance, hoping to eventually run a marathon.
“But, I think that’s so far in the future,” she concludes.
Paladino will continue her distance running into the spring season, running both the 1,500 meter race as well as the mile as that is where her “strengths” are.
“Never give in,” is how she would encapsulate her running career. “If it’s really what you love and it’s your dream, keep chasing it because you’ll really surprise yourself.”
Women’s Basketball Falls in Big East Semifinals
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Finish Season with Winning Record; Secure Spot in WNIT
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
After an impressive regular season, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team headed to Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois to test their fate in the Big East Tournament. The official seeding was not set until the final weekend of Big East play. The Friars earned the #7 seed in the tournament and were faced with the task of the #10 seed, the Xavier University Musketeers.
The Friars were able to down the Musketeers by a final score of 70-62 to advance to the Big East Quarterfinals. The Friars held a 12-point lead at half but, the Musketeers kept pursuing the Friars, cutting the lead within six at one point before the Friars went on a 6-0 run and ultimately won the game. The Friars were led in scoring by Olivia Orlando ’21 who caught fire for a career high 18 points (9-11 FG). Maddie Jolin ’19 poured in another 15 points for the Friars.
The keys to the win were the Friars’ ability to control the glass and also only turn the ball over eight times which was the second lowest total of the season. “We have very little chance tomorrow if we turn it over a bunch like we’ve done the two times we’ve played DePaul,” stated Providence Head Coach Jim Crowley. “Now, they force it, they play at a really high pace, but we have to be better taking care of the ball. We’re fairly efficient offensively when we do take care of it.” The Friars’ win over Xavier was their first victory in the Big East tournament since 2001.
The Friars faced the future Big East Champs, the DePaul University Blue Demons. The Friars once again fell early as they trailed 9-20 after the first quarter. At one point, the Blue Demons were on a 12-0 run before the Friars took a timeout. The Blue Demons continued to roll in the second quarter where the lead was pushed up to 19 points before the Friars used a run of their own to close it within 12. In the second half, the Friars closed the defecit to single digits halfway through the third quarter before the Blue Demons were able to close things out and defeat the Friars 85-60. Mary Baskerville ’21 scooped up 10 of her team high 17 points in the 4th quarter. Each squad finished the game with 19 turnovers but benefited DePaul. “Their shot-making is exemplary, it’s outstanding, and they really put a lot of pressure on you because you make a mistake and they make you pay, and they did so to us,” Crowley commented after the game.
Although this loss ended their regular season and conference play, Coach Crowley alluded to some hope for postseason play. “Having coached in the WNIT a few times, we think that’s an amazing opportunity and we’d be honored to be a part of that.”
On Monday night, the Women’s National Invitation Tournament field was announced, and the Friars were able to secure a bid. This is the Friars’ first postseason appearance since 2010. The Friars will host the University of Hartford Hawks on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall.
Women’s Hockey Falls to Northeastern
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Friar Sports
Matt Kelly’s First Season as Head Coach Ends in Semifinals
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
As the final buzzer sounded and the Northeastern University Huskies flooded the ice in celebration, the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team’s incredibly successful season came to a disheartening end in the Women’s Hockey East Semifinals.
The #3 Huskies defeated the Friars by a score of 3-2 and eventually went on to take the Hockey East Championship. This was the first time since 2013 that Providence College was represented in the Women’s Hockey East Championship weekend.
A brand new coaching staff this season led the squad to a 24-11-2 record, an incredible feat given that the program has not had a 20-win season since 2010-2011. Unfortunately, the Friars fell just short of reaching the NCAA Tournament and their historic run came to an end.
This season was pivotal for the future success of the program. Under new leadership the bar has been set higher than ever for this talented group. Christina Putigna ’19 is certainly leaving her mark on Friartown as she became the 27th player in program history to eclipse the 100-point milestone in her career as of Feb. 8. The senior was a critical player this season as she registered a career high of 30 points on 15 goals and 15 assists.
Although this season was the program’s best in over a decade, the future is incredibly bright for this young group. Star forward Maureen Murphy ’21 has two more seasons to skate for the Friars at her already incredible rate. The Buffalo, New York native, who was invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team Winter Camp earlier this season, led the Friars in both goals (22) and points (43). She was named to the Hockey East All-Star Second Team.
Other accolades for this group included another young-gun, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22, who was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. The freshman from Sweden tallied 11 goals and 12 assists this season.
Goaltender Maddie Myers ’19 and defenseman Avery Fransoo ’20 also had fantastic seasons, good enough to earn Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mentions. Myers finished the season with a 1.72 Goals Against Average and a .929 Save Percentage. Fransoo tallied her career high in points with 18, while also being one of the Friars’ best defensemen as she recorded an impressive +10 on the season.
Although the hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament fell just short, there were many highlights for this squad over the season. The Friars recorded wins over the #3 Northeastern Huskies, #5 Boston College Eagles, and #8 Boston University Terriers, proving that their program has become a top team in the country. A 24-win season has not been accomplished since 2002, so this season will be marked as a historic one even though no championships were won.
This year proved to be a massive turning point and stepping stone for the Friars who are loaded with young talent and a bright future. Matt Kelly and his coaching staff have now laid the groundwork and set the bar high for Friars women’s hockey going forward, so it will be no surprise if a Hockey East Championship is captured soon.
Women’s Hockey Heads to Semifinals
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Advance Beyond the Quarterfinals for the First Time Since 2013
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Last weekend, the Providence College Women’s Hockey Team hosted the Merrimack College Warriors in a best two-out-of-three games series at Schneider Arena for the Women’s Hockey East Quarterfinals. On Friday, March 1 the Friars skated to a 2-0 win against the Warriors.
The team found the back of the net late into the game with Meaghan Rickard ’20 notching the first goal of the series almost halfway through the third period. Rickard was able to easily put the puck in the net after passes from Chloe Gonsalves ’21 and Maureen Murphy ’21.
“Meg has been very effective this year due to her skating ability and puck movement,” said Head Coach Matt Kelly on Rickard’s game-winner. “She’s been a player that we’ve been able to use in all situations. She also has the ability to play with many different players which was a huge asset early in the year.”
Following Rickard’s goal, Christina Putigna ’19 buried an unassisted empty-netter goal to close out the game and give the Friars the series lead. Goalie Maddie Myers ’19 grabbed her sixth shutout of the season after making 17 saves. Their first win in the series improved the Friars’ overall season record at the time to 23-10-2, which is their most wins since the 2002-2003 season.
The following day, the Friars were able to sweep the series with a 2-1 win. Neve Van Pelt ’20 put the Friars on the scoreboard first after snagging a rebound off of Emily Landry’s ’19 shot in the final five minutes of the first period. Midway through a physical second period, Murphy tapped in a pass from Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 for a power play goal to give the Friars a 2-0 lead. It was Murphy’s 22nd goal of the season.
Reducing the Warriors to just three shots on the net the entire third period, Myers was unable to control the puck during a scrum in front of the net and Merrimack was able to grab their only goal of the series in the final 30 seconds of play.
Despite letting up a goal in the last few seconds of the game, Myers was just named Women’s Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week due to her 40 saves over the course of the two games. Myers is also the only active goaltender with more than one perfect sheet in the Women’s Hockey East Association (WHEA)Tournament. Along with Myers, Murphy also gained Hockey East recognition as a Top Performer due to her recorded goal and assist.
With their sweep against Merrimack, for the first time since 2013, the Friars will be advancing to the Hockey East Championship weekend.
PC will face-off against #1 Northeastern University in the Semifinal round this Saturday at Schneider. Northeastern will be looking to go back to the championship game for their third time. As mentioned, this will be PC’s first time making it to the semifinals since 2013 and while they won the tournament’s first three titles in WHEA history, they have not made it to the championship round since 2005.
Northeastern University, who finished their season 25-5-5, have defeated the Friars two out of the three times they met this season. Going into the tournament, PC will need to keep up their solid defensive play from the quarterfinals series and find the net quickly and often. The game against the Huskies will truly be a battle of the goalies as both Myers and Northeastern’s Aerin Frankel are top two goalies in terms of winning percentages (Frankel’s is .820 percent and Myers’s is .706 percent).
Maureen Murphy will also be looked upon to get the Friars into the championship game as she not only leads the Friars in goal-scoring, but is also third in Hockey East with 22 goals overall. She edges out Northeastern’s top-scorer by two goals. However, Northeastern is the leading scoring offensive team in Hockey East (PC is fourth) and PC is the leading defensive scoring team (Northeastern is third).
If the Friars are able to skate to a win against the Huskies, they will be set to play in the championship game Sunday, March 10 against the winner of the Boston College vs. Boston University game at Schneider Arena.
Women’s Basketball Gears Up for Big East
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Prepare for Tournament with Senior Game
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team ended the Big East regular season the way that they began it—with a pair of home matchups against two of the best teams in the Big East, #24 DePaul University and #13 Marquette University.
Last Friday night, the Friars hosted DePaul, who used a late run to fuel a 76-61 victory over the Friars. The Friars were able to keep it close by ending the first quarter with a 7-0 run to trail by only one basket. The Friars were able to tie things up at 17 a piece before DePaul had a 10-0 run. At the half, the Blue Demons led the Friars 34-24.
In the third quarter, Maddie Jolin ’19 and Jovana Nogic ’19 combined for 17 points and outscored the Blue Demons 24-19. The Friars were able to stay within five points at the start of the fourth quarter before the Blue Demons used a 12-0 run to gain a comfortable lead, ultimately leading to their 76-61 victory over the Friars.
For the first time this season, the Friars were defeated after they out-rebounded their opponent (31-30). A lot of the Friars’ troubles came at the hands of the Blue Demons defense, which forced 23 turnovers and allowed them to score 34 points. Nogic led the Friars with 17 points.
After the game, Head Coach Jim Crowley said, “Too many turnovers and fouls in the second quarter. A great third quarter, we gave ourselves a chance, and then again it’s too many turnovers.” Crowley credited DePaul’s defense, stating, “They’re good enough without giving any possessions away, and we just gave them way too many.”
The Friars had a quick turnaround and had to prepare for another nationally ranked opponent on Sunday: the #13 Marquette Golden Eagles.
Friar fans were able to celebrate three Friar players for Senior Day. Clara Che ’19, Maddie Jolin ’19 and Nogic each walked out to half court during the pre-game ceremony and were greeted by Athletic Director Bob Driscoll, President Father Brian J. Shanley, O.P., Crowley, and many others.
The Golden Eagles sported some of the best players not only in the conference, but in the nation. However, the Golden Eagles lost two of their starters due to injury and dropped a road game against Creighton University on Friday night. The Golden Eagles needed a win to win the Big East Regular Season Title outright, and the Friars were still jostling for seeding position in the Big East.
The Friars started the game on a 5-0 run before the Golden Eagles closed the quarter on a 18-3 run and led 18-8 after the first. The Friars turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter which gave Marquette eight points.
Marquette was able to push their lead to 17 at one point during the second quarter before the Friars used a 12-4 scoring run, capped off by Chanell Williams ’21 making a lay-up at the horn before time expired. Williams tallied eight of her 12 points in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Friars got within three points with 3:14 to go before Marquette went on a 8-3 run to end the half. Marquette flexed their muscles in the final frame, outscoring the Friars 22-7, resulting in an 80-57 win for the Golden Eagles.
After the game, Crowley stated, “I thought we competed hard, but it was similar to Friday night where after two quarters, the game got away from us…you look at the stat line and things are fairly even until you get to one big number and that’s our turnovers.” The Golden Eagles employed similar defense tactics as the Blue Demons did on Friday night with their full court pressure that led to many turnovers in the first half. Friars turned the ball over 22 times in the loss. Williams led the Friars in scoring with 12 points while Jolin added 11 points, including three long-balls from downtown.
The Friars finish the regular season with a 16-14 overall record and an 8-10 mark in Big East play. Their 16 wins is the most since the 2009-2010 campaign, and their eight Big East victories is the most since the 1996-1997 season.
Two Friars received regular season awards. Mary Baskerville ’22 was awarded Big East Freshman of the Year. She led all freshmen in scoring with 9.4 points per games and rebounding with 7.3. Nogic was named to the All-Big East Honorable Mention Team after breaking the College’s 3-point record and scoring 13.7 points per game.
The Friars snagged the #7 seed in the Big East tournament held in Chicago at Wintrust Arena and are set to face the #10 seed, Xavier University.