Providence College Athletics
Providence College
2-7
Rhode Island
3-5
Women's Basketball Defeats URI, 69-66
12/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2005
KINGSTON, R.I. - The Providence College women's basketball team defeated in-state rival Rhode Island, 69-66, on Saturday, December 10 at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. Freshman Ashley Etheridge (Portland, Conn.) led all scorers with a career-high 21 points for PC. Classmate Chelsea Marandola (Johnston, R.I.) netted 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out a career-best seven assists.
In the first half, the Friars shot a stifling 51.9-percent from the floor (14-27), including a five-of-12 performance from beyond the three-point arc (41.7 percent). Etheridge led the way in the first half with 14 points, while Marandola scored 12 points. Rhode Island hit the first field goal of the game to take a 2-0 lead 12-seconds into play. The Friars then rattled off 10 unanswered points to take a 10-2 lead at the 16:30 mark. The Rams got within one point with 5:46 remaining in the opening half (27-26), but Providence outscored URI, 11-6, over the final 5:27 to take a 38-32 lead at halftime.
Providence opened the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 15-point lead at 47-32. The Rams finally got on the board at the 14:45 mark as Tanya Rhodes connected on a jumper. Rhodes' jumper started a 7-0 URI run to get within eight (47-39) with 13:09 remaining in the game.
PC fifth-year senior Gayle Nwafili (Maplewood, N.J.) halted the Ram's run with a lay-up to make the score, 49-39, at the 12:19 mark. However, the Rams responded with a 16-4 run to take the lead with 7:22 on the clock (55-53). It marked the first lead for URI since holding a 2-0 advantage at the beginning of the game.
With 54 seconds left in regulation, URI held a 66-65 advantage as Safi Mojidi hit a jumpshot. Marandola would put the Friars ahead for good with 42-seconds left on a lay-up to make the score, 67-66. URI missed two-straight three-point attempts and PC freshman Shantee Darrian (Trenton, N.J.) grabbed the defensive rebound and called a time-out with 20-seconds remaining.
PC committed a violation on the inbounds pass and URI gained possession under it's own basket. The Rams inbounded the ball and Rhodes attempted a lay-up to potentially win the game, but Nwafili saved the day for PC with her second blocked shot of the afternoon and grabbed the rebound. She was fouled immediately by the Rams and sank two free-throw to seal the game with 10-seconds left.
Joining Etheridge and Marandola in double figures was sophomore Kristen Brown (River Vale, N.J.), who chipped in 13 points. Nwafili finished the night with nine points and 12 rebounds. Darrian hauled in a career-best 13 boards for PC, in just her second game of the season. She missed the Friars' first seven games with an injury.
URI got double-digit efforts from four players, led by Mojidi, who scored 15 points. She also handed out a game-high eight assists. Jessica Magley hit for 14 points, while Rhodes finished the game with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Mia Marcus rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points.
The Friars out-rebounded Rhode Island, 43-30. Seventeen of the Friars' 43 boards came off of the offensive glass.
