Tag: Jack Belanger ’21
Editor’s Corner
by The Cowl Editor on November 15, 2018
Friar Sports
Remembering Rick Pitino at PC
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
In the early 1980s, the Providence College men’s basketball program found itself in a much different state than what fans have witnessed this decade. Legendary head coach Dave Gavitt left his position at PC to help form the Big East Conference while becoming the league’s first commissioner.
Unfortunately for the Friars, they suffered through one of their worst stretches in the program’s history from 1979-1985. In this time PC only managed one season with an overall winning record.
Then, before the start of the 1985-86 season, something happened that would change the trajectory of Friars basketball history. Longtime head coach Joe Mullaney retired, which meant former athletic director Lou Lamoriello ’63 had to find a new successor.
Lamoriello found the right man for the job in 32-year-old New York Knicks Assistant Coach Rick Pitino.
Now most sports fans know Pitino for his coaching tenures at the University of Louisville or his disastorous tenure with Boston Celtics, but at the time he was best known for taking Boston University to the NCAA Tournament.
Pitino brought immediate changes to the team which had immediate results. Practices occurred three times a day, players were punished for being late to class, and film sessions became common.
With Pitino at the helm, the Friars had their best season since the inception of the Big East, finishing 7-9 in league play and 17-14 overall, and were fifth in the conference. While the team did not make it to the NCAA tournament, they did make it to the National Invitational Tournament. No doubt things were changing, and the next season got even better.
In 1986-87 Pitino emphasized shooting the long-ball and told his team to shoot at least 23-25 threes a game. The change in style lead the team to have an even more successful season than the year before.
That season the Friars, lead by Billy Donovan ’87, who scored 20.6 points per game, managed to make it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nine years. For the tournament, the team was given a six-seed and made headlines around the country by making a Cinderella run all the way to the Final Four for the second time in school history.
Even though he bolted back to the NBA to coach for the Knicks after the season, Pitino will always have a soft-spot for the Friars. “Because of that Cinderella team, I believed for the rest of my coaching career that anything was possible,” he says. “Any comeback is possible, and any team can accomplish great things. Providence kept that alive for me.”
Despite such a short stint at PC, Pitino turned the Friars from one of the bottom teams in the Big East to a team that would always be in the mix for first. For a moment, leave out the rest of his career and appreciate what he did for basketball at PC.
No coach at PC has orchestrated such a quick turnaround, turning a team that finished eighth just two years before into one that would realize its full potential and make it to the Final Four.
Even after he left the College, Pitino’s influence remained. His son, Richard Pitino ’05, served as a team manager for two seasons while he attended PC. He also donated towards the construction of the St. Dominic Chapel. PC may have been one his shortest coaching jobs, but it may be where he had his greatest impact.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018
PCI
The Men’s Basketball Team Will Have The Best Record This Season
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
After making their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team is poised to take the next step and compete for first place in the Big East and surpass the PC Men’s Hockey Team as the best winter sports team on campus.
The basketball team is loaded with talent at every position and has a high potential to succeed this season in a conference that has gotten much weaker since last season. All the uncertainties around this team, such as the return of Emmitt Holt ’19RS and a promising freshman class, will fall in PC’s favor.
With the loss of offensive leaders Kyron Cartwright ’18 and Rodney Bullock ’18, Alpha Diallo ’20 will be ready to take on a larger role after having a breakout sophomore season. Last season, Diallo averaged 13.2 points per game and ended the season by scoring 21 points against Texas A&M University in the national tournament. This season he was named to the All-Big East Preseason First Team. Diallo will be one of the best players in the Big East this season which will make it difficult for any team to beat the Friars.
There has been plenty of speculation as to how Holt, a forward, will perform this season after missing all of last season due to injury. During the 2016-17 season, he averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Friars missed his presence underneath the hoop last season and his return will be a big boost for the young squad.
Before this season, Head Coach Ed Cooley put together possibly his greatest recruiting class during his time at PC. Highlighted by four-star recruits, David Duke ’22 and A.J. Reeves ’22. The freshmen will be able to step in immediately and produce right away. With the other teams in the Big East losing a lot of talent, the freshmen should not be terribly overmatched come conference play.
Despite the loss of three starters, the Friars have been able to reload on the fly and have the potential to improve from their overall record 21-14 and 10-8 record in the Big East. PC still has plenty of returning players that have lots of potential to improve. Christopher Novak of SB Nation is picking the Friars to finish in the top half of the conference this year. He predicts ”this Friars team being good enough to earn a Top 4 finish in the Big East and get one of their highest seeds in the NCAA Tournament in recent memory.”
While the men’s hockey team may be ranked third according to the USA Today poll, the team has yet to play top-15 ranked opponents such as the University of Denver, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Northeastern University, all of which will be tough games for the Friars to pullout. Likewise, Villanova University is the only team in the Big East that is ranked, which means PC will fair much better against the conference this season.
Editor’s Corner
by The Cowl Editor on November 1, 2018
Professional Sports
A Look at the Red Sox’ Success Without Big Papi
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
After Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz retired following the conclusion of the 2016 season, there was a lot of uncertainty as to who would fill his role as Boston’s power hitter, go-to guy in the postseason, and leader. With such a big hole to fill, there was plenty of reason to wonder how long it would take the team to return to the World Series. After all, in Ortiz’s last season, he had one of his best performances of his career and the team still fell to eventual American League champions, the Cleveland Indians, in the first round of the playoffs.
But who knew it would only take two years? Especially with how the 2017 season unfolded.
While the Red Sox still managed to win the American League East, the team lacked a true power hitter without Ortiz. Outfielder Mookie Betts finished second in the MVP voting in 2016, but suffered a down year in 2017. Veterans Dustin Pedroia and David Price were supposed to take over as the clubhouse leaders, but neither could stay on the field due to injuries.
In the postseason, the team bowed out after four games in the first round to the Houston Astros, losing the series three games to one. Outside of a 10-3 win in Game Three, the Sox struggled to score at any consistent rate. The team was lacking the voice that Ortiz brought in the dugout as well as his big bat in the lineup. It was clear general manager Dave Dombrowski had to make changes for the team to return to contention in 2018.
Newcomer J.D. Martinez proved to be the power-hitter Boston needed as he hit 43 homers during the season, and Betts played like he had back in 2016 to lead the offense in the regular season.
In past World Series runs, it was stars such as Ortiz and Manny Ramirez who would heat up come October; this year it was Jackie Bradley Jr. and under-the-radar, mid-season acquisition Steve Pearce who would prove to come up in key moments for the Sox. Bradley Jr. would lead the team with nine runs batted in to lead the team over the Astros and head to the World Series.
Pitcher Chris Sale became the rallying voice the Sox needed in Game Four of the World Series when the team was down 4-0. A moment reminiscent of 2013 when Ortiz voiced his displeasure with the team’s hitting in the World Series, Sale fired up his teammates and sure enough, the Sox were able to come back and win 9-6.
Somehow Pearce became one of the unlikeliest of heroes in Red Sox history after winning World Series MVP. The 35-year-old journeyman came up big for Boston in the final two games of the series. In Game Four, he had a home run and four RBI’s and in Game Five he hit two home runs to seal the series for the Red Sox.
The 2018 Red Sox will likely go down as one of (if not the) greatest teams in franchise history, and while the stars filled Ortiz’s shoes during the regular season, it was the role-players who came up big on the field during the postseason.
Cross Country Sprints Into Big East Championships
by The Cowl Editor on October 25, 2018
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
After coming off arguably their best performance of the year, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams are coming into form just in time for the Big East Championships on Saturday, October 27 in Carmel, Indiana hosted by Butler University. Both teams came in first place at their last race, the Central Connecticut State University Mini Meet.
The women’s team had five runners place in the top 10 including Abbey Wheeler ’20, who placed second overall in the race and first among collegiate runners. Wheeler’s performance caused her to be named the NCAA Cross Country Division l National Athlete of the Week for the second time this year. Wheeler has been one of the most consistent runners for the Friars, finishing as the top collegiate runner at three meets this year. Regan Rome, a fifth year, and Maria Coffin ’21 finished right behind Wheeler in third and fourth places overall respectively.
The men’s team also had runners place second through fourth as they had four runners place in the top 10 of the race. Ryan Gallagher ’21 took the top spot for the Friars, finishing second overall with Angus White ’21 and Marcus Karamanolis ’19 right behind him. Gallagher has come a long way from the beginning of the season, when he finished fifth on the team at the University of New Hampshire Dual Meet, and has worked his way up to being one of the team’s top runners.
Coming into the season, Head Coach Ray Treacy had high expectations for the teams, specifically for the girls. “The expectations for the women’s team was to make it back to nationals,” said Treacy. “We made it 28 out of the last 29 years. Things seemed to be coming together very well last weekend so I’m much more optimistic about that goal going into the Big East.”
With Wheeler leading the way, the women’s team looks to be one of the favorites at the Big East Championship. The Friars expect to finish in the top two, hoping to compete for first place along with Villanova University, who has been one of the top teams in the country. While it has been the strong races from the top runners like Wheeler and Coffin that has carried the team throughout the year, for the Friars to go back to Nationals they will need Alex Decicco ’20 to continue her improvement from the start of the season. Her strong performance at Central Connecticut State University has given Treacy plenty of optimism.
“Alex Decicco made a huge improvement last weekend […]so if she can run like that for the last two meets for the Big East and Regional Meet, we will have a really good chance to make it back to regionals.”
After winning the Northeast Regional Meet and finishing 16th at Nationals last season, having everyone running at their best has given the Friars not only a great opportunity to achieve the same results as last year, but potentially finish even better this year.
While Wheeler, Coffin, and Rome have been the clear leaders on the women’s team, the men’s team has lacked a true number one but has found success due to having strong depth. “The men’s team has been very balanced this year,” says Treacy. “We haven’t had the same number one from one week to the next. Everyone is improving, we really have a solid 10 guys on the line this weekend.”
It was hard to gauge how the men’s team would perform this year because the majority of the team is comprised of freshmen and sophomore runners. Three weeks after finishing first at the University of New Hampshire Dual Meet, the team was hit by an illness that caused them to finish 33rd at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational.
The team eventually recovered and came back to finish first at Central Connecticut. For the team to have success in the next two races, Treacy says the team should accomplish their goals if they stay consistent. The team’s training in the past three weeks has impressed the coach and gives him more hope for the team to vie for a top-three finish.
The men’s race has a much more crowded field for the Big East race, icluding Georgetown University, Villanova, and the host Butler University, who returns a strong team from last year. “We want to finish in the top three if we can. We want to beat one of those teams and we would be quite happy going into regionals if we can achieve those goals”
There is plenty of motivation for the men to have a good race on Saturday, October 27. Last season the men finished fourth in the Big East and 12th at regionals. With about two weeks until the Northeast Regionals, the men have plenty of time to train and continue to build off of their last race.
Editor’s Corner
by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018
Friar Sports
New Basketball Facility Will Pay Off
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
This past weekend marked a historic moment for Providence College Athletics with the official dedication of PC’s new basketball training facility, the Ruane Friar Development Center. This $30 million facility broke ground last school year and was completed in time for the team to begin using it this fall. The facility includes two full-sized basketball courts, a float tank, a studio for interviews, and (believe it or not) a barbershop.
While some students do not see why the College would build such a large, expensive building that is used regularly by a small group of students, a new practice facility has been a long-time coming after the College undertook many other upgrades around campus.
When current men’s basketball head coach, Ed Cooley, was hired back in 2011, Athletic Director Bob Driscoll told Cooley that the school had multiple projects before creating a new practice facility. Since then, the College has seen the creation of Anderson Stadium, the relocation and upgrade of Glay Field, and renovations of Schneider Arena and the Taylor Natatorium. PC has also seen the construction of the Arthur F. and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies and, more recently, the science complex.
For both men’s and women’s basketball, a new practice facility was a necessity to remain competitive in the Big East. Former head coach Tim Welsh found that he lost many recruits to schools with facilities specific for basketball.
Now that the Big East is comprised of schools focused on basketball, many of the schools upgraded their facilities. According to Cooley, PC was the last school in the Big East to get a basketball-specific facility. Being the smallest school in the Big East, the Friars need every advantage they can get.
To attract the best recruits in the northeast, having a facility that compares to those at Syracuse University and the University of Connecticut is crucial. This season Cooley was able to keep Providence native David Duke ’22 from leaving the state and also kept Massachusetts native A.J. Reeves ’22 close to home.
Cooley has kept the Friars relevant with five-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. With the news of a new practice facility, he has brought in possibly his best recruiting class, which is just another step for the Friars to reach the level of rivals like Villanova University, who compete for a national championship year after year.
While a championship is far from guaranteed right now, a new practice facility and a top recruiting class shows progress in the ever-changing landscape of college basketball where recruiting has become more competitive than ever. While everyone at PC hopes for quick improvement this season in the team’s success, Driscoll and Cooley have built a program with the potential to stay competitive for years to come.
Friar Family Mourns the Loss of Hockey Alum Mark Adams
by The Cowl Editor on September 27, 2018
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Mark Adams ’15, former Providence College hockey player, passed away unexpectedly on September 17, 2018, at the age of 27. Adams played four seasons with the Friars from 2010-2015, winning the Division I National Championship in 2015.
Before coming to PC, Adams was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round, 134th pick overall, in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
At PC, he majored in business economics while playing in 98 games for the Friars, including 32 in his senior year where he helped lead the team to the championship.
Adams was a leader on and off the ice as he was dedicated to improving his talent while also forging bonds with his teammates.
Head Coach Nate Leaman said, “He was a great teammate and a special part of our entire community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family.”
After he graduated from PC in 2015, Adams signed a contract with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, but retired shortly after due to injuries.
Adam’s death follows that of Drew Brown this past year. Both players were members of the 2015 championship team.
Some of Adams’ former teammates released statements remembering their former teammate and friend. Noel Acciari, who currently plays for the Boston Bruins posted a statement on Instagram, “Heaven has gained another champion. Rest In Peace, Roo.”
Trevor Mingoia, another one of Adams’ teammates from the championship team, posted, “Words can’t describe the horrible feeling of losing an amazing friend and teammate. You were one of the most genuine and loyal friends that someone can ask for. My heart goes out to the Adams family. Rest in Peace Roo, we already miss you.”
Adams has left a profound impact on the PC hockey community and left a legacy of what it meant to be a Friar through his hardwork, passion, and dedication.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018
PCI
The Women’s Soccer Team Will be the Fall Sport With the Best Record
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
No fall sports team has found consistent success this year like the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team. Though both the Men’s and Women’s soccer team and the field hockey team were picked to finish fourth in their respective Big East Preseason Coaches’ poll, with a 6-2-1 record, the women’s soccer team has a better record than all other teams and has exceeded expectations at this point in their season. The men’s team currently sits at 3-4-1, while volleyball is 6-5 and field hockey is 4-5.
So far this year, PC is undefeated at Chapey Field (5-0-0) and the team’s only two losses came against two top-15 nationally ranked teams, Duke University and the University of North Carolina (UNC), at the Duke Nike Classic. The team also tied 1-1 against the University of Arkansas, who is 5-2-2 and plays in the Southeastern Conference, one of the tougher conferences in Division I soccer.
Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan ’20RS has been named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll four times and was once named the Big East Goalkeeper of the Week. Teammate Hannah McNulty ’21 has been named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. McNulty, so far, is second in the Big East in goals with six. Hogan leads the league in saves with 46.
The Friars defense, led by Katie Day ’19 and Hailee Duserick ’19, have given Hogan plenty of protection in front of the net. PC has allowed the third fewest goals in the Big East this season with six goals in nine games. The two seniors have started every game for the Friars this season and are tied with the most minutes on the field.
As the team begins conference play on Sept. 22 against Villanova, the Friars will enter the game with the second-best record in the Big East, behind only 10th-ranked Georgetown University, who has yet to lose a game. Last season, PC earned the third seed in the tournament, and they returned many of their key contributors this season, as they look to challenge Georgetown for the Big East crown.
While there is still plenty of the fall season left for PC’s sports teams, as each team begins conference play within the next couple weeks, the women’s soccer team has proven that they can compete with some of the best teams in the country (losing by 1 goal to Duke and UNC) which only bodes well for them when they take on the top teams in the Big East. While PC’s other teams still have a chance to move up in the standings, the women’s soccer team is already near the top and will be able to surpass their last season’s win total of 10.
Upperclassmen Look to Continue Last Season’s Success
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
In terms of consistency, it would be hard to find a team more solid than the Providence College Field Hockey Team. In the past 12 seasons, the team has qualified for the Big East tournament eight times. Only four out of eight teams qualify for the tournament.
Last season, the Friars finished fourth in the Big East with 11-8 record overall and 4-3 in Big East play. The team faced the University of Connecticut Huskies in the semi-finals for a chance to compete for the Big East finals. Unfortunately, the Huskies, who would go on to finish the season undefeated and win the National Championship, beat the Friars 3-0, ending their season.
This season, PC returns six starters including Corinne Kenney ’19 and Mikayla Michals ’20, who were named to the all Big East Preseason Team. Kenney was named All-Big East Second Team last year and she returns as one of PC’s top defenders.
Last season, Michals was tied for the team lead in goals with five. She was second on the team in points and returns as the top scorer from last season. Izzy Mendez ’20 also had five goals last season, giving PC its top two goal-scorers for 2017.
In goal, Lydia Rice ’19 takes over this season after Megan Guilbert ’18 graduated. Rice comes into the season with only two career games under her belt. Rice should have plenty of help in front of her as the Friars return multiple defenders from a team that allowed the second fewest goals in the Big East with 35 goals.
Allyson Parker ’20 is another returning starter to watch out for. Last season, Parker started in every game for the Friars. After scoring two goals last season, she will be tasked with picking up the scoring as several of the top scorers left the team.
Two freshmen who are looking to make an immediate impact this season are Jenna Puleo ’22 and Amanda Collins ’22 who play forward and midfielder/defense, respectively. Through seven games this year Collins has registered three assists and started every game, while Puleo has appeared in six games.
So far this season, PC is 3-4 and has not played any Big East games yet. The team started 0-3 after a trip out to California. Once the team came home, the Friars responded with a three game winning streak, followed by a loss to the University of Iowa.
The 2018 Big East Field Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll picked the Friars to once again finish fourth in the league. The University of Connecticut, the defending champs, are once again picked to finish in first, receiving seven first place votes.
PC Soccer Teams are Hopeful Contenders
by The Cowl Editor on August 30, 2018
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Last Fall, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams looked to build off their 2016 seasons in pursuit of Big East Championship wins.
Unfortunately, after finishing first in the Big East in 2016 and a run to the Elite Eight, PC’s men’s soccer team fell to fifth place in the conference finishing 5-8-5 overall in 2017, losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament.
While PC’s women’s team record did not drastically improve from 2016 to 2017, the team went from fifth to third place and made their way into the Big East Semifinals.
Both teams are in position for improvement, as the women’s team only lost four seniors, and the men still have several key players from the 2017 season.
Women’s Team
PC’s women’s soccer team has plenty to look forward to this season as four out of the top five point-scorers from last year return this season, including Hannah McNulty ’21 and Casey Estey ’19 who were tied for the team lead in goals with three.
Defenseman Katie Day ’19 and midfielder Kayla Steeves ’19 were named to the Preseason All-Big East Team. Last season, Day was named to the All-Big East First Team, while Steeves was named to the Second Team. Midfielder/forward Amber Birchwell ’21 was named to the All-Big East Freshmen Team as she was tied for third on the team in points.
PC’s goalkeeper, Shelby Hogan ’20RS was named the Big East Freshman of the Year last season, as she had seven shutouts last season and a 1.05 goals against average.
The team welcomes five new freshmen to the team, including Celina Falzarano ’22 and Hannah Morgan ’22, who play forward and defense respectively.
This season, the team will head down to Durham, North Carolina to play in the Duke Nike Classic, where they will play the University of North Carolina and Duke University.
The team is picked to finish fourth based on the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, receiving 55 points, though third place Marquette University garnered only four more points than PC.
Georgetown University is picked to be the favorite after winning the championship last season.
Men’s Team
After a season that was filled with injuries and performance inconsistencies, the PC men’s soccer team comes into 2018 with plenty of hope of success with players returning and 10 new players in a strong incoming freshman class.
The team looks to find its next goal scorer as 2017 top goal scorer Mac Steeves ’17RS graduated and was drafted by the Major League Soccer team, the Houston Dynamo. The Friars hope midfielder Danny Griffin ’20 and midfielder/forward Alex DaCosta ’20 can fill the void left by Steeves.
Joao Serrano ’20RS led the team in assists and was second in points in 2017 at the center midfielder. Serrano is a captain this year and is one of the team’s better ball distributors.
In goal, Colin Miller ’19RS returns for his third season as the team’s starting goalkeeper. Last season, Miller had a 1.08 goals against average along with five shutouts, earning Big East Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
Miller, the 2016 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, was voted as the Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and was voted to the All-Big East Preseason Team along with Griffin.
Two freshmen to watch are Kevin Vang ’22 and Ramzi Qawasmy ’22, who play midfield and defense respectively.
Midfielder Simon Fisher ’21 is also a potential breakout player. Fisher had a strong spring season and looks to give the team quality minutes on the field.
The Friars have the pieces to compete this year if all of their players can stay healthy and they can find a number one scoring option.
Looking around the league, Georgetown looks to repeat as league champions, while Xavier University also returns with a strong team.
PC has their home opener on Friday, August 31 at 7 p.m. against Boston College.
A Year in PC Sports: Friars Make Run At Big East Title
by The Cowl Editor on May 3, 2018
Friar Sports
Basketball Team Falls Just Short of Third Championship
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team had an overall successful regular season this year, going 21-14 overall and 10-8 during Big East play. While there were disappointing losses to DePaul University and to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst who would go on to finish 13-20 in the regular season.
This left some fans frustrated with the team’s performance, but the Friars certainly made up for those losses with home wins against top 10 ranked Villanova University and Xavier University.
Despite the impressive upsets, many basketball experts still had PC on the edge of being picked for the NCAA National Basketball Tournament. Most people believed the Friars had to pick up a win or two in the Big East tournament to solidify a spot in the field. With a first round matchup against Creighton University, who also finished 10-8 in the Big East, a win was no guarantee. But by the end of the tournament, the Friars accomplished more than enough to earn a bid.
The game against Creighton was tight the whole time as neither team had more than a three-point lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Alpha Diallo ’20 scored on a putback layup with 12 seconds left to tie the game at 59-59 and force overtime.
In OT, Kyron Cartwright ’18 scored five out of Providence’s 13 points to lead the Friars to a 72-68 victory over the Blue Jays and a matchup with first place Xavier. Diallo was the leading scorer for the team with 19 points while Cartwright and Rodney Bullock ’18 each had 13 points.
The semifinal game did not start the way Providence had hoped as they found themselves down 17 points early in the second half. The Friars then went on a miraculous 29-12 run to tie the game at 64, sparked by Cartwright and Nate Watson ’21, who had 10 points in the second half. The Friars would head into overtime tied 68-68.
Again, it was Diallo and Cartwright who led the team in OT. Cartwright hit the go-ahead shot with less than a minute to go to give the Friars a 73-70 lead and then drew an offensive foul on Xavier’s J.P. Macura to seal give the ball back to the Friars. Diallo scored four points into overtime and his last second free throws forced Xavier to shoot a three that was too late.
The unbelievable win sent the Friars to their third Big East Finals appearance in team history and first since winning the Big East in 2014. The only team left standing in their way was the defending Big East Champions, the Villanova Wildcats.
While it may have been a daunting task to upset a heavily favored Villanova team, the Friars were already able to upset the Wildcats at home earlier in the season and beat Xavier twice.
After a close first-half where the Friars found themselves down by four, Villanova made a run to extend its lead to 12 early in the second half. Luckily, the Friars found enough magic once again to make a comeback to tie the game late. Diallo gave the Friars a 60-58 lead with 40 seconds left in regulation before Villanova managed to the tie the game and force Providence’s third straight overtime game, a Big East tournament record.
In overtime, Villanova took complete control and Providence was outscored 16-6 in the extra minutes. Diallo finished with another great game, scoring 22 points and had 10 rebounds while Cartwright had 19 points.
Even though the Friars fell short of the title, the team played its best when it counted the most. After a season with several disappointing games, the Friars showed college basketball what they were capable of when they played their best, a team that plays tough defense and hustles until the end. Despite losing the first round of the national tournament, Providence’s remarkable run in the Big East tournament proved that the season was a success.