Slow Start Dooms #24 Providence in Road Loss to Seton Hall
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
Slow Start Dooms #24 Providence in Road Loss to Seton Hall
See The Five Takeaways Slideshow Below
After trailing by as much as 21, 53-32, with just over 11 minutes to play in the game, the Friars got as close as seven, 57-50, with 6:22 to go.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTProvidence would only score two points the rest of the game as Seton Hall would close the contest on a 13-2 run and cruise to a 70-52 win.
PC's comeback ended after Ben Bentil was given a flagrant 2 foul and thrown out of the game. Bentil will now have to sit out PC's next game as well.
What cost the Friars in this game was another slow start.
Another Slow Start in the 1st
The Friars railed 30-23 at the half after getting off to another slow start, this one coming after 8 days off.
After scoring the first points of the game, the Friars allowed Seton Hall to go on a 17-7 run and hold a 17-9 lead with 10:41 left to play in the half.
The Friars would trail 24-15 before scoring 6 straight points to cut their deficit to three, 24-21 with just over three minutes to play.
However, PC would only score two points the rest of the half and allow Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead to knock down a deep three with the clock winding down.
The Leaders
Ben Bentil led the Friars with 31 points on 10 of 27 shooting, while also grabbing 6 rebounds.
Next up
Providence returns to action on Saturday when they host DePaul at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Friars lost to DePaul earlier in the season.
Tip off is set for 4 p.m.
5 Takeaways From PC's 70-52 Loss to Seton Hall
Bracketology
The Friars have lost 5 of their last 6 games as they enter the final three games of the season.
Providence has slipped into a tie for 5th in the Big East Conference and if they lose out, could drop all the way to 8th.
PC can get as high as 4th in the conference, a spot currently occupied by Creighton.
According to the latest NCAA bracket projection from ESPN's Joe Lunardi, the Friars have not moved since Monday, still holding a 7 seed.
Lunardi had Seton Hall projected as a 10 seed, they have since moved to a 9 seed after the win over PC.
Rodney Bullock
Rodney Bullock took and missed two shots in the game and finished with 2 points, both coming from the free throw line.
Bullock picked up two fouls in the first three minutes of action which got him a seat on the bench early.
The second foul he picked up with 17 minutes to play, there was no reason for. Just let the player go and make his layup, it's so early in the game.
Bullock finished the game with those same two fouls.
Can anyone Score?
The Friars 28% from the field in the game, including 17% from three, going 0 of 11 in the first half.
Guys that are supposed to contribute to scoring, other than Dunn and Bentil, are not.
What is alarming is that this is not just a one game issue, this has been a season long issue.
Bullock went 0 of 2 from the field, scoring 2 points on free throws.
Ryan Fazekas, PC's three-point shooter, went 0 of 3 from beyond the arc and 0 of 4 from the field overall en route to 0 points. Fazekas has gone 3 of 18 from three-point land in PC's last 4 games.
Jalen Lindsey, another shooter, went 1 of 4 from the field and 0 for 2 from three-point land. Lindsey has gone three straight games without hitting a shot from deep.
Secondary scoring has not been there on a consistent basis for Providence, hence they have lost 5 of their last 6 games and are in danger of letting this season get away.
Kris Dunn
Kris Dunn missed practice earlier this week with illness and he did not appear to be himself in this game.
During the game he looked exhausted and was seen coughing into his jersey on several occasions. He was also taken out of the game more often then he usually is as well.
Dunn finished the game with 8 points on 4 of 12 shooting from the field and 3 turnovers.
Ben Bentil
Ben Bentil picked up a flagrant 2 foul with just under 4 minutes to play meaning that he gets ejected from the game. The ejection officially ended PC's hopes of a come back.
The ejection also means that Bentil will be out of PC's next game, Saturday against DePaul at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
Bentil led the Friars with 31 points on 10 of 27 shooting from the field and 7 of 12 from the free throw line.
