PC Nightmare - Friars Blasted by Marquette 78-50

PC Nightmare - Friars Blasted by Marquette 78-50

The Providence College men’s basketball team is glad 2024 is over. The Friars were pounded on Tuesday night at home by Marquette 78-50.

And it was not even that close.

The Friars led 10-2 in the opening minutes, and then Marquette dominated the Friars.

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PC falls to 7-7 and 1-2 in the Big East.

 

Turnovers Tip of Iceberg

There were multiple runs by Marquette, including a 23-4 stretch in the first half.

The Friars threw the ball away over and over again, and in the first 11 minutes of the game, PC had 10 turnovers.

Marquette led 47-20 at halftime.

The second-half scoring line was better, with the Golden Eagles topping PC 31-30.

College basketball teams want to have a 2-1 assists-to-turnover ratio, but the Friars had a 2-1 turnover-to-assist ratio.

The most disturbing statistic is the Friars had 22 turnovers compared to Marquette’s 5. The Friars had just 11 assists.

The Golden Eagles turned the Friars' miscues into 27 points.

 

Only One Friar in Double Figures

The only Friar scoring double digits was Wesley Cardet, Jr., with 11 points.

Jayden Pierre had 9 points on just 3-12 shooting from the field.

As a team, the Friars shot just 34%. Marquette shot 44% from the field.

Kam Jones led four Golden Eagles who scored in double-figures -- he had 18 points and added 10 assists.

 

FIRST HALF:

Oswin Erhunmwunse opened the scoring with a pair of free throws, followed by a pair of three-pointers by Bensley Joseph and Pierre. The Friars jumped out to an 8-2 lead. 
Marquette responded and took control with a 26-2 scoring run, including 21 unanswered. The Golden Eagles seized a commanding lead - 28-10 - while the Friars went scoreless for seven minutes. 
At the 9:49 mark, Cardet ended the scoring drought with a three-ball. 
The Friars trailed 47-20 at halftime. 
Marquette capitalized off 14 first-half turnovers by the Friars, delivering 20 points off those takeaways. 

 

SECOND HALF:

Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.) nailed a three-pointer to open the half. 
With 13 minutes left, Cardet and Pierre added back-to-back triples. PC trailed 56-32.
Late in the half, the Friars engineered a 9-0 run, holding Marquette scoreless for over three minutes. Corey Floyd Jr. (Franklin, N.J.) capped off the run with a strong finish at the rim at the 5:21 mark. 
Marquette closed out with a 12-0 run in the final minutes.

 

NOTES:

Ryan Mela finished with a game-high and career-high eight boards. 
Providence out-rebounded Marquette by a margin of two (39-37). 
Pierre tied a season-high six assists in the game. 
Four players finished in double figures. Kam Jones led the way with a double-double, recording 18 points and 10 assists. 

The Friars are 10-8 all-time in games on New Year's Eve, including a 4-5 mark in BIG EAST games.
PC is 15-25 mark all-time versus Marquette.
Tonight's loss ended a five-game home win streak versus Marquette. It marked Marquette's first road win against the Friars since 2018 and the team's first road win of the season. 
The Friars were 1-2 versus Marquette last season, with the lone win coming in Providence.
In the most recent meeting between the two teams, Marquette defeated PC, 79-68 in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2024.
The Friars have posted a 133-286 (.317) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-2 mark this season.

 

NEXT:

The Friars head on the road to take on the No. 11/13 UConn Huskies on Sunday, Jan. 5 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. 
Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on NBC.