PC Men’s Basketball Run and Gun Past Penn

PC Men’s Basketball Run and Gun Past Penn

The Providence College men's basketball team defeated the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night at home.

This is not a powerhouse Penn team -- they were preseason ranked 7th in the eight-team Ivy League. 

The 106-81 final score is a little deceiving, as much of the game, it was about a 12-point margin. The Friars are now 2-1 on the season.

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It was the second game that the Friars scored more than 100 points. This is a new look, Friars. This is the run-and-gun squad.

Senior guard Corey Floyd Jr. led the Friars in scoring with 20 points on a career-high four three-pointers. Sophomore Ryan Mela registered a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.  

"Good bounce back for our guys on a short turnaround." Head Coach Kim English said. "We learned a lot from the film and improved our transition defense tonight. Penn is one of the fastest teams in the county, and we handled it well. Our guys did a great job withstanding runs and extending the lead at the end of the game." 
 

FIRST HALF: 

• Penn controlled the opening tipoff and made a three-pointer. Jaylin Sellers (Columbus, Ga.) responded with a driving layup that got the Friars on the board.  

• Oswin Erhunmwunse slammed an emphatic dunk, and on the ensuing possession blocked a Penn shot in the lane to spark a 10-0 Friar scoring run. Providence gained an early 12-3 lead (16:22).  

• Ryan Mela stopped a Penn resurgence with a right-handed reverse layup in the lane as the teams were tied at 16, leading into the under-16 media timeout (13:08).  

• The Friars found rhythm on offense as Jamier Jones finished a second-chance layup through contact. Sellers followed with a deep three-pointer two possessions later. The Friars extended their lead to 28-22 at the under-eight media timeout (8:54).  

• As the two teams traded buckets, Stefan Vaaks scored eight straight points for the Friars as Providence held onto a 35-32 lead (3:50).  

• Jason Edwards and Corey Floyd Jr. sank as back-to-back threes as the Friars jumped out to a 48-36 lead at the end of the first half.  

• Providence shot 19-34 (55.9%) from the field, 6-13 (46.2%) from three, and 4-5 (80.0%) from the free-throw line.   

• Penn shot 11-31 (43.8%) from the field, 5-10 (50.0%) from three, and 9-10 (90.0%) from the free-throw line.    

• Providence held the edge on the boards, out-rebounding Penn 22-15.  

• Floyd led the Friars with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.   

• Mela added eight points and seven rebounds in the first half.  

• Penn's Ethan Roberts registered 12 first-half points.  

 

SECOND HALF: 

• Penn opened the second half with a quick two. The Friars responded as Sellers converted a transition layup, and Edwards knocked down a corner three. The Friars led 50-39 (18:43).  

• Floyd made a three from the right wing as the Friars took a 14-point lead at 60-46 (14:46).  

• Penn continued to find answers on the offensive end as they cut the Friar lead to 11 at 64-53 (11:58).  

• Erhunmwunse halted Penn's momentum as he swatted a driving floater into the third row. Floyd knocked down a three on the ensuing offensive position as the Friars extended the lead to 69-53 (10:48).  

• Jaylen Harrell knocked down an and-one three-pointer and converted the free throw that gave Providence a commanding 76-61 lead (7:38). The three marked the freshman's first collegiate points.  

• As the two teams traded buckets, Sellers converted an and-one opportunity. Erhunmwunse slammed a wide-open dunk in the lane on the next possession as Providence led 84-66 (5:44).  

• Jones slammed an emphatic dunk that extended the Friar lead to 20 points. Two possessions later, Jones slammed a reverse jam on a lob from Vaaks as the Friars pushed the lead to 95-72 (3:46).  

• Mela made back-to-back threes as the Friars crossed the 100-point mark (1:54).  

 

DATA: 

• Six players finished in double figures for the Friars: Floyd (20),  Mela (18), Edwards (14), Vaaks (14), Sellers (12) and Jones (11). 

• Penn guard Michael Zanoni finished with 30 points.  

• Mela finished with a game-high 12 rebounds.  

• Floyd finished with a career-high four three-pointers.  

• Mela tied a career high with 18 points.  

• Mela recorded his first double-double of the season and the third of his career. 

• The Friars outscored Penn in the paint by a margin of 46-18.  

• Providence held the rebound advantage, 49-30.  

• The Friars outscored Penn in the fastbreak by a margin of 24-4.  

• The game marked the first time since 2022 that the six Friars scored in double figures. The last time Providence had six players score 10 or more points was against the University of Albany on Dec. 10, 2022.  

• The game also marked the first time since Nov. of the 2008-09 season that the Friars scored over 100 points in back-to-back games. The Friars scored 100 in a win over Dartmouth, followed by 111 when they defeated Sacred Heart in 2008.  

• Providence shot 36-67 (53.7%) from the field, 13-30 (43.3%) from three, and 21-23 (91.3%) from the free-throw line.   

• Penn shot 25-70 (35.7%) from the field, 12-28 (42.9%) from three, and 19-24 (79.2%) from the free-throw line.     

 

NOTES: 

• The Friars have posted a 7-4 mark all-time versus Penn. The Friars are 5-2 all-time versus the Quakers at home. PC is 0-1 on the road versus Penn and 2-1 in neutral arenas.  

NEXT: 

The Friars will travel to the University of Colorado on Friday, Nov. 14. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. E.T. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.