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Men's Basketball
at Pitt (Exhibition)
2:00 p.m.
Providence College Athletics
Sunday, March 1
Piscataway, N.J.
2:00 PM
Providence College
73
at
66
Rutgers
Men's Basketball Wins At Rutgers, 73-66
3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2009
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Providence College men's basketball team (18-11, 10-7 BIG EAST) defeated Rutgers University (10-19, 1-15 BIG EAST) by a score of 73-66 on Sunday, March 1 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, N.J. Senior Weyinmi Efejuku (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) led the Friars with 28 points including a career-high 15 free throws in 17 attempts.
With the victory, Providence now has 10 BIG EAST wins for the sixth time since 2003-04 and only the third time in school history.
After the two teams traded baskets over the game's first eight minutes, senior Jeff Xavier (Pawtucket, R.I.) rattled home a 3-pointer to give the Friars a 10-8 lead with 12:01 to play in the first half. A 15-footer by senior Geoff McDermott (New Rochelle, N.Y.) moved PC ahead 16-12 but Rutgers took advantage of a 3:42 minute field-goal drought by the Friars to build a 20-18 lead at the 5:23 mark of the opening half.
A 3-pointer by junior Sharaud Curry helped the Friars regain the lead, 23-22, and a runner by McDermott built the PC lead to five at 27-22 with 2:39 to go in the first half. The sequence was part of a 13-2 run that gave the Friars a 33-26 advantage at intermission.
The perimeter defense of PC limited Rutgers to 0-for-9 shooting from three-point territory in the stanza. Efejuku paced Providence with 12 points in the half.
McDermott scored the first six points of the second half for the Friars and consecutive 3-point field goals by Efejuku and Xavier helped propel Providence to a 45-30 lead at the 15:38 mark of the stanza.
A three-pointer by Rutgers' Jaron Griffin pulled the Scarlet Knights back within 10 at 47-37 with 13:39 to go, but the Friars responded with seven-straight points to extend the lead back to 15 at 54-39. An alley-oop from Curry to junior Brian McKenzie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) moved the Friars ahead 19 (62-43) with 8:35 left in the contest.
However, Rutgers would not go quietly and outscored the Friars 16-0 over the next 5:57 to move to within three at 62-59.
With the Friars clinging to a three point lead with less than three minutes to play, Jeff Xavier hit a huge 3-pointer for the Friars to extend the lead back six at to 65-59 and hit two free throws with 1:34 left to put PC up eight (67-59), putting the game out of reach for Rutgers.
The Friars effective full-court pressure led to 10 steals and forced 16 Scarlet Knight turnovers which Providence converted into 19 points. PC shot 52.0 percent (13-25) in the second half and the team made 80.0 percent (20-25) of its free throws in the contest.
Xavier posted 13 points and three assists while McDermott added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Friars.
Freshman Gregory Echenique played a solid all-around game for Rutgers, recording 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks and five steals.
The Friars play their final game of the regular season on Thursday, March 5 at No. 10/12 Villanova. The contest is a 7:00 p.m. start at the Pavilion in Villanova, Pa.
Players Mentioned
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