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Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Villanova
1/30/2019 10:44:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Friars begin the second half of the BIG EAST schedule against the Wildcats on Feb. 1 at Finneran Pavilion.
PROVIDENCE SET TO FACE VILLANOVA AT FINNERAN PAVILION... Providence College will travel to Villanova, Pa. to face the Wildcats in BIG EAST action on Friday, Feb. 1 at 7:00 p.m. It will mark the first match-up between the two teams at the newly renovated Finneran Pavilion.
LIVE BROADCAST... The Friars' game vs. Villanova will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) via FOX Sports Go. Download the FOX Sports Go app on your mobile device/tablet, or watch the game on your laptop/desktop computer by navigating to http://www.FOXSportsGo.com.
FAMILIAR FOE... The Friars have played the Wildcats 74 times during the history of the two women's basketball programs. It marks the most games vs. any opponent in program history.
PROVIDENCE VS. VILLANOVA ALL-TIME... Villanova leads the all-time series vs. Providence, 47-27. The Wildcats have earned victories in 10 of the last 12 regular-season games, but the Friars were the victors in the most recent match-up between the two teams. On Jan. 6, Providence earned a 67-61 win in Providence, R.I. The victory snapped a seven-game winless streak to Villanova.
FRIARS AND WILDCATS IN VILLANOVA, PA. ... The Friars and Wildcats have met 31 times in Villanova, Pa. The Wildcats lead the series on their home court, 25-6, including victories in each of the seven meetings in Pennsylvania. Last season, the Wildcats and Friars played at Jake Nevin Fieldhouse on Feb. 23, 2018. Villanova claimed a 70-43 victory in that meeting. Â
LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED VILLANOVA ON ITS HOME COURT... The last time Providence claimed victory on the Wildcats' home court dates back to Jan. 19, 2011. On that day, the Friars defeated Villanova, 58-53.
FRIARS AND WILDCATS IN OVERTIME... Providence and Villanova have played four overtime games during the all-time series, with the Friars claiming victory each time.  The last time the two teams needed overtime to decide a winner dates back to Jan. 23, 2013. The Friars defeated the Wildcats, 65-60, in OT that day. At the time of that match-up, Villanova was receiving votes in the AP Top-25 and was ranked 25th in the Coaches' Poll.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST MATCH-UP... Providence defeated Villanova, 67-61, on Jan. 6 in Providence, R.I. It marked the Friars' first victory over the Wildcats since Dec. 3, 2014. The Wildcats outscored the Friars 22-16 in the third quarter, capped by three-pointer from Kelly Jekot at the buzzer and the two teams entered the final 10 minutes of play tied, 44-44. In the fourth quarter, the Wildcats tied the game, 56-56, on an Adrianna Hahn three-pointer at 3:09, but Providence took control with an 11-2 spurt to gain a nine-point lead with 11-seconds to play (67-58). Jovana Nogic was responsible for eight points in the run, with an 8-8 performance from the foul line in the final 2:50 of the contest. With the game out of reach, Villanova converted its 13th three-point bucket of the day with two seconds left to make the final 67-61. Nogic led all scorers with 23 points on 5-8 shooting, including a 2-3 performance from beyond the arc. She also converted 11-11 attempts from the foul line. Maddie Jolin added 18 points on 7-14 shooting overall and 3-5 from three-point territory. Kaela Webb, who got her first collegiate start for the Friars, finished the day with seven points on 3-4 shooting. Mary Baskerville also completed the game with seven points and added six rebounds. Saddled with foul trouble early, Baskerville made a significant impact in the fourth quarter, as she recorded five points and three critical defensive rebounds. Hahn led Villanova with 19 points and Kelly Jekot added 11 points. Â
FRIARS WIN THREE-STRAIGHT GAMES IN BIG EAST PLAY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2001-02 SEASON... Providence is in the midst of a three-game win streak, having defeated #RV/RV Butler (74-68, 3OT), Xavier (71-58) and Creighton (77-63). It marks the first time since the 2001-02 season that the Friars have reeled off three-straight victories in conference play.
BEST SIX-GAME STRETCH IN LEAGUE PLAY SINCE 1997... The Friars have won five of their last six BIG EAST games. It marks the best six-game stretch in league play since the 1996-97 season. During that campaign, Providence also won five of six contests. It also marks the best nine-game start to the BIG EAST schedule since 1996-97, as that team also started league play 5-4.
FRIARS COMING OFF FIRST-EVER WIN AT CREIGHTON... The Friars defeated Creighton, 77-63, in their most recent game on Jan. 26. It marked Providence's first-ever victory over the Bluejays in Omaha and just the second win overall against Creighton during the all-time series. Providence used a 24-3 scoring edge in points off of turnovers during the game, and PC also dominated inside the paint, 34-18. Jovana Nogic paced the Friars with 18 points. Maddie Jolin and Earlette Scott each added 12 points in the win. Olivia Orlando hauled in a team-high six rebounds and chipped in six points. All 10 players who saw the floor for Providence cracked the scoring column, with five players hitting for 8+ points in the game. The Friars shot 50-percent from the field (29-58), including 43.8-percent from three-point territory (7-16). Creighton shot 44.2-percent from the floor (23-52), including a 13-30 performance from beyond the arc (13-30).
BALL SECURITY... Providence committed just five turnovers in its 77-63 victory over Creighton on Jan. 26. It marked the fewest turnovers for the Friars in a single game since Feb. 11, 2004. On that day, Providence committed just four miscues vs. Villanova.
JOVANA NOGIC NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON... Jovana Nogic was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 28. It marked the second time this season, and fifth time in her career, that she has been tabbed as an honor roll selection. Earlier this season, Nogic was named to the honor roll on Dec. 3. In the Friars' 77-63 victory over Creighton last week, Nogic led all scorers with 18 points on 6-11 (.545) shooting from the field, including a 3-6 performance from beyond the three-point arc (.500). She also added three rebounds, three steals and one assist in 33 minutes of action. Nine of her 18 points came during a second quarter run that erased a six-point deficit. The run was capped by Nogic's buzzer-beating jumper to give Providence a 38-37 lead at halftime - a lead the Friars would not relinquish the rest of the game.
PROVIDENCE EARNS WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN AGAINST XAVIER... Providence led wire-to-wire on Jan. 20 to defeat Xavier, 71-58, in Providence, R.I. Freshman Kaela Webb put the Friars on the board with a three-pointer just 13-seconds into the game and Providence never looked back. The squad outscored Xavier, 23-14, in the first quarter and held a 46-31 advantage at halftime. The Friars' 15-point margin at the break matched a season-best. Webb paced the Friars through the first 20 minutes with 12 points on 4-4 shooting from the field, including a 3-3 performance from beyond the arc. Providence opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 22-point lead (53-31) with 5:31 on the clock. Xavier cut the deficit to 13 (53-40) with 2:40 remaining in the quarter, but that proved to be as close as the Musketeers would get the rest of the way. Senior Jovana Nogic led four Friars in double figures with 16 points, and she added four rebounds and a game-high four assists. Webb completed the afternoon with 15 points on 5-8 shooting from the field, including a 4-4 showing from three-point territory. She also dished three assists and grabbed one steal, and did not commit a turnover in 29 minutes of action. Freshman Mary Baskerville and sophomore Kyra Spiwak each posted 11 points and six rebounds to lead PC on the glass. For Spiwak, her 11 points marked a career high and the first time she has reached double figures as a Friar.
FRIARS BATTLE TO TRIPLE OVERTIME WIN AGAINST #RV/RV BUTLER... The Friars defeated #RV/RV Butler, 74-68, in triple overtime on Jan. 18 in Providence, R.I. It marked just the second loss of the season for Butler overall and its first in BIG EAST Conference action. Jovana Nogic (24) and Maddie Jolin (20) combined to score 44 of the Friars' 74 points, while freshman Kaela Webb chipped in 16 points to match her career high in the scoring column. The Friars had to overcome a stagnant second quarter, which saw the team score just three points as Butler fought back from a 12-point deficit to take a 27-25 lead at halftime. In the third and decisive overtime, Butler scored the first three points to take a 68-65 lead, but the Friars responded with a 9-0 run to close the extra session and claim victory. Freshman Earlette Scott hit her only field goal of the game with 18-seconds remaining on the clock to give Providence a four-point cushion (72-68). Nogic followed with a timely blocked shot on defense and then sealed the game at the line with a pair of free throws. Nogic finished the game 12-12 from the foul line overall.
LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED A TEAM RANKED/RECEIVING VOTES IN THE NATIONAL POLLS... Providence last defeated a nationally-ranked opponent on Jan. 23, 2013. On that day, the Friars outlasted #RV/25 Villanova, 65-60, in overtime. Prior to the Friars' Jan. 18 win over #RV/RV Butler (74-68, 3OT), the last time the Friars defeated a team receiving votes in the national polls was on Jan. 27, 2017. On that day, Providence defeated #RV/RV Marquette, 66-64.
LAST TIME PROVIDENCE PLAYED A TRIPLE OVERTIME GAME... The Friars posted a triple-overtime victory against #RV/RV Butler (74-68) in Providence, R.I. on Jan. 18. The last time Providence played a triple overtime game dates back to Nov. 27, 2010 vs. Alabama (L, 82-80).
FOURTH TRIPLE OVERTIME GAME IN BIG EAST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY... On Jan. 18, Providence and Butler played just the fourth triple overtime game in BIG EAST women's basketball history.
Feb. 9, 1993 - Georgetown defeated Miami, 90-88 (3OT)
Mar. 2, 2013 - Villanova defeated Syracuse, 77-75 (3OT)
Mar. 4, 2013 - Notre Dame defeated Connecticut, 96-87 (3OT)
Jan. 18, 2019 - Providence defeated Butler, 74-68 (3OT)
FRIARS SURPASS WIN TOTAL FROM A SEASON AGO... Providence enters the weekend with a 13-8 overall record and has surpassed its win total from a season ago when the squad finished 10-21. Â
MOST WINS IN BIG EAST PLAY SINCE 2011-12... The Friars enter the weekend with a 5-4 record in BIG EAST play. With nine regular-season games remaining, the Friars' five wins are the most in league play since the 2011-12 season when the team finished with a 5-11 mark.
KAELA WEBB NAMED BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK... Guard Kaela Webb was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Jan. 21. It marked the first time in her career she has earned the honor. Webb averaged 15.5 points, 2.5 boards, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a 2-0 week for the Friars. She shot .455 from the field overall (10-22) and a blistering .583 from three-point territory (7-12). She matched her career-high of 16 points in the Friars' triple-overtime win against #RV/RV Butler on Jan. 18. She followed with 15 points on 5-8 shooting in the Friars' victory over Xavier on Jan. 20.Â
MARY BASKERVILLE THREE-PEATS AS BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK... Forward Mary Baskerville was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Jan. 14. It marked the second-straight week the rookie earned the honor, and third time this season overall. She is the first Friar to three-peat as Freshman of the Week since Kerri Chatten '98 during the 1994-95 campaign. In a 1-1 week vs. St. John's (Jan. 11) and Seton Hall (Jan. 13), Baskerville averaged a team-best 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots for the Friars, and did not commit a single turnover in 43 minutes of action. She shot an impressive .667 from the field (10-15). Baskerville led the Friars to a 67-66 overtime victory at St. John's with her second double-double of the season (14 points / 10 rebounds). She followed with a 13 point performance in a six-point loss to Seton Hall.Â
TWO FRIARS EARN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK IN THE SAME SEASON... Forward Mary Baskerville and guard Kaela Webb have each been named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this season, and the duo has combined to claim the honor in four of the last six weeks. It marks the first time since 2000-01 that two different Friar rookies have earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors in the same season. Baskerville has earned the honor three times (Dec. 24, Jan. 7, Jan. 14), while Webb recently nabbed the accolade for the first time in her career on Jan. 21. Â
KAELA WEBB CRACKS STARTING LINE-UP... Freshman guard Kaela Webb earned her first appearance in the starting line-up on Jan. 6 vs. Villanova and has started six games overall since then. As a starter, she has averaged 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting .471 from the field overall (24-51) and .483 from beyond the arc (14-29). Through 21 games overall, Webb has averaged 8.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
MADDIE JOLIN COMES ALIVE FOR FRIARS IN LAST FIVE GAMES... Senior Maddie Jolin has played her best basketball of the season over the course of the last six games. During the stretch, she has averaged 14.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and has led the Friars in assists (3.2 apg), steals (1.7 spg) and three-point shooting (.515, 17-33). She reached double figures in the scoring column in four of the six games, including a season-high 20 points in the Friars' triple-overtime win against #RV/RV Butler (74-68). Â
MARY BASKERVILLE'S 31 BLOCKED SHOTS ARE FOURTH MOST BY A FRESHMAN IN PROGRAM HISTORY... Through 21 games, Mary Baskerville has recorded a team-high 31 blocked shots. Her 31 blocks are the fourth-most by a freshman in program history. Andrea Mangum '90 and Erica Meyer '20 (currently enrolled at Santa Clara) each posted a program-best 41 blocked shots as rookies. Britt King '86 ranks third on the list, with 36 rejections.
DEFENSE... Providence has held 12 opponents below 40-percent shooting from the field this season and have posted a 10-2 mark in those games. Furthermore, the Friars are 7-1 when holding their opponents to below 35-percent, including a 4-1 mark against teams they held to 30-percent or lower. The Friars' only loss in this scenario came against Quinnipiac (48-44) after holding the Bobcats to 27.9-percent from the floor (17-61). Â
PROVIDENCE RANKS 11TH IN THE NATION IN THREE-POINT FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE... Providence College leads the BIG EAST and ranks 11th in the nation among NCAA Division I programs in three-point field-goal percentage (.387), having hit 140-362 attempts from beyond the arc. During BIG EAST regular-season play, the Friars have been even more efficient from three-point territory, shooting a league-best .411 (62-151).
10-POINTS OR LESS... Twelve of the Friars' 21 games have been decided by 10-points or less. Providence has posted a 7-5 record in those games, including a 3-2 mark in games decided by five-points or less.
SINGLE-DIGITS... Five of the Friars' eight losses this season have been decided by single-digits. Four of the single-digit losses came during non-conference play. Providence's first single-digit loss in BIG EAST Conference play came against Seton Hall (79-73) on Jan. 13.
DOUBLE-TROUBLE... Freshman Mary Baskerville recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds against La Salle. She recorded her team-best second double-double of the season against St. John's with 14 points and 10 boards. She joins Maddie Jolin as one of two players on the active roster with a double-double during their careers.
HITTING THE GLASS... Providence owns an 8-0 record this season when they out-rebound or post the same number of rebounds as their opponents. The Friars most recently out-rebounded Xavier, 39-28 (+11), on Jan. 20. It marked the largest positive margin on the glass for the Friars in BIG EAST Conference play since Jan. 23, 2015 vs. Marquette (+11, 44-33).
NOGIC RANKS SEVENTH ALL-TIME IN SCORING AT PROVIDENCE... Jovana Nogic owns 1,541 career points (13.9 ppg) and ranks seventh on the Friars' all-time career scoring list. Since the start of the season, she has jumped 11 spots on the list. Nogic recently passed Providence College Hall of Famer and current ESPN analyst Doris (Sable) Burke '87 (1,372), Kerri Chatten '98 (1,378), Lucie Fontanella '94 (1,446) and Britt King '86 (1,531). Sixth place is currently occupied by Nadine Malcolm '97, who tallied 1,649 points during her career (1993-97). Malcolm is a Providence College Hall of Fame inductee and was the first-ever Friar to get drafted into the WNBA.
1,000-POINT MILESTONE WITHIN REACH FOR MADDIE JOLIN... Senior guard Maddie Jolin has scored 943 points during her career at Providence. She is within reach of becoming the 35th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. With a minimum of 10 games remaining on the schedule, Jolin needs 57 points to achieve the feat and can surpass the mark with an average of 5.7 points per game.
NOGIC RANKS AMONG NCAA ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS FROM BEYOND THE ARC... Jovana Nogic ranks 14th among active NCAA Division I players in career three-point percentage. Nogic has hit 40.7-percent of her attempts from beyond the arc (287-705). Additionally, she ranks 19th among active NCAA career leaders in three-pointers made per game (2.59) and 11th in three-point field goals made (287). Â
NOGIC TIED FOR SEVENTH PLACE ALL-TIME IN THE BIG EAST IN THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS ... Jovana Nogic recently moved into a tie for seventh place all-time in three-point field goals made during BIG EAST regular-season play, with 145. Two other current players in the BIG EAST are also climbing the all-time three-point rankings, including Villanova's Adrianna Hahn and Natisha Hiedeman, who are tied for 10th with 141 triples.
1. Sugar Rodgers (2009-13), Georgetown - 168
2. Brittany Hrynko (2011-15), DePaul - 165
3. Kate Bulger (2000-04), West Virginia - 161
4. Trish Juhline (1999-03), Villanova - 157
5. Julie Wheeler (1994-98), Providence - 156
6. Wendy Davis (1988-92), Connecticut - 155
T-7. Jovana Nogic (2015-present), Providence - 145
T-7. Sheila McMillen (1995-99), Notre Dame - 145
9. Jaime James (1998-02), Syracuse - 144
t-10. Adrianna Hahn (2015-present), Villanova - 141
t-10. Natisha Hiedeman (2015-present), Marquette - 141
12. Ann Strother (2002-06), Connecticut - 138
13. Maya Moore (2007-11), Connecticut - 137
FRIARS IN OVERTIME GAMES UNDER JIM CROWLEY... Providence is 4-4 in overtime games under the direction of third-year Friars Head Coach Jim Crowley, including a 2-0 mark in 2018-19. The Friars are 2-0 in overtime games when they score 90+ points, and 2-3 vs. BIG EAST opponents.
FRIARS HAVE RECORDED 40+ REBOUNDS IN SIX GAMES OVERALL... Providence has recorded 40+ rebounds in six games this season and have posted a 5-1 record in those games. It marks the most 40+ rebound games in a single season since 2014-15. During that campaign, the Friars collected 40+ rebounds in 13 games. Â
JOVANA NOGIC SETS ALL-TIME THREE-POINT RECORD AT PROVIDENCE COLLEGE... Jovana Nogic set the Providence College career three-point field goal record on Dec. 8 at UMass Lowell. The previous mark was held by Julie Wheeler '98, with 252, in 101 games (1994-98). Nogic cleared that record on her second three-point bucket of the day against the River Hawks, with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter. Heading into Friday's game at Villanova, Nogic has hit 287 three-pointers (287-705, .407).
NOGIC HOLDS FRIARS' SINGLE-SEASON RECORD FOR THREE-POINTERS... Jovana Nogic set the Providence College single-season record for three-pointers, with 91, during the 2016-17 season. The previous record was held by Julie Wheeler '98, which she set during the 1994-95 season, with 82. Â
20-POINT PLATEAU... Three Friars have scored 20+ points in a game this season, through 21 games. Jovana Nogic has hit the mark five times: vs. Rhode Island (20), Bryant (22), Pepperdine (22), Villanova (23) and Butler (24). Nogic has scored 20+ points in 23 games during her career, including a career-best 31 points against Northeastern last season. Williams posted a career-high 25 points against Sacred Heart, marking the first 20+ point game of her career and the top-scoring game of any Friar this season. She also hit for 20 points against Northeastern on Dec. 15. Maddie Jolin became the third Friar to reach the 20-point mark, as she knocked down a season-high 20 points in the Friars' victory over #RV/RV Butler (74-68, 3OT).
FRIARS RECORD DOUBLE-DIGITS IN THE WIN COLUMN IN THREE-STRAIGHT SEASONS... The Friars enter Friday's game at Villanova with a 13-8 overall record. It marks the third-straight season that the Friars have recorded double-digits in the win column. The Friars' three-straight seasons with double-digit wins are the most since recording 10-or-more wins in six-straight seasons from 2006-07 to 2011-12. Â
SETON HALL HANGS ON TO DEFEAT PROVIDENCE... Providence fell to Seton Hall, 79-73, on Jan. 13 in South Orange, N.J. Freshman Kaela Webb (Pontiac, Mich.) led four Friars in double figures with a career-high 16 points. The Friars led by as many as six with 6:48 remaining in the first quarter and held a 21-18 lead after 10 minutes of action. Providence hit 8-of-12 field goals in the opening quarter (.667). Seton Hall took its first lead of the game (26-25) with 8:25 on the clock in the second quarter. The Friars responded with a 7-3 scoring spurt to take a 33-28 lead with 6:59 left, but Seton Hall closed the first half with 10 unanswered points for a 38-33 edge at the break. Seton Hall took advantage of 15 first-half miscues by the Friars and outscored Providence 16-2 in points off of turnovers. The Friars found themselves tied, 56-56, heading into the fourth quarter after out-scoring Seton Hall, 23-18, in the third. It marked the third time in six BIG EAST Conference games that Providence was tied with its opponent going into the final 10 minutes of play. In the fourth quarter, Providence took its first lead since midway through the second quarter on an Andrea Cooper (Edmond, Okla.) lay-up with 7:52 to play (58-56). Seton Hall answered with four-straight points to go back in front (60-58) at the 6:18 mark, and held on the rest of the way.Â
FRIARS PICK UP OVERTIME WIN AT ST. JOHN'S... Senior Maddie Jolin scored a season-high 19 points and hit what proved to be the game-winning free throw with 0.7 seconds left in overtime to defeat St. John's 67-66 on Jan. 11. It marked the Friars' third-straight victory over St. John's, having swept the series in 2017-18. Providence had to overcome an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to earn the win. Jolin shot 7-9 from the field, including 4-5 from three-point territory and added a game-high five assists to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Mary Baskerville picked up her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She shot 5-8 from the field and added two blocked shots and one steal. Her second blocked shot of the day came with 27-seconds left in overtime as the Friars held a one-point lead.
FRIARS PICK UP THIRD-CONSECUTIVE WIN VS. ST. JOHN'S... On Jan. 11, Providence defeated St. John's, 67-66, in overtime for its third-straight win over the Red Storm, having swept the season series in 2017-18. The last time the Friars picked up three-straight wins against St. John's dates back to the late 90s, spanning the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons.
PERFECTION... Jovana Nogic has shown her brilliance from the free throw line this season, going perfect from the line in two games with more than 10 attempts from the stripe. She was 11-11 from the free throw line against Villanova on Jan. 6. She went on to hit 12-12 attempts from the line against #RV/RV Butler on Jan. 18. She is one of eight players in program history to go perfect from the line in a single game with 10-or-more attempts at the line. Tracy Lis (vs. Montana, 11/29/91) and Kristin Quinn (vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/03) each converted a program-record 14-14 from the charity stripe. A full list of single-game free-throw percentage leaders at Providence is below:
Tracy Lis (14-14 vs. Montana, 11/29/91)
Kristin Quinn (14-14 vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/03)
Andrea Mangum (13-13 vs. Pittsburgh, 2/8/89)
Sonya Lewis (11-11 vs. St. John's, 1/6/94)
Mandy Saunders (12-12 (2x) vs. St. John's, 1/6/94 and Boson College (3/5/94)
Jovana Nogic (12-12 vs. Butler, 1/18/19)
Jovana Nogic (11-11 vs. Villanova, 1/6/19)
Kathy Finn (10-10 vs. Rhode Island, 2/9/84)
Chelsea Marandola (10-10 vs. USF, 2/23/10)
GEORGETOWN PULLS AWAY IN FOURTH QUARTER TO DEFEAT FRIARS... Providence and Georgetown were tied, 45-45, heading into the fourth quarter on Jan. 4 in Providence, R.I. The Hoyas used a 23-7 scoring advantage in the final 10 minutes to take a 16-point victory (68-52). The Friars converted just 3-12 field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter, while the Hoyas knocked down 11-20 shots at a 55-percent clip. Turnovers were a storyline in the game, as Georgetown out-scored Providence, 23-9, in points off of turnovers. The Hoyas also took advantage of 13 offensive rebounds to hold an 11-2 edge in second-chance points.
FRIARS OPEN BIG EAST CONFERENCE SCHEDULE WITH BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES AGAINST NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPONENTS... Providence was faced with a tough test to start the BIG EAST slate, as it was matched against two nationally-ranked opponents (and preseason league favorites), No. 22/19 Marquette and No. 19/20 DePaul. The Golden Eagles handed the Friars their most lop-sided loss of the season (-39) and first loss by double-digits (85-46). The Friars followed with a 26-point loss at DePaul (88-62) to close opening weekend.Â
JOVANA NOGIC HELD WITHOUT A FIELD GOAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER CAREER AT PROVIDENCE... Senior guard Jovana Nogic was held without a field goal for the first time in her career on Dec. 31 against No. 19/20 DePaul. Nogic was 0-5 from the floor vs. the Blue Demons and scored just two points on a pair of free throws. She responded by leading the team in the scoring column in three of the last five games vs. Georgetown (15 points), Villanova (23 points) and Butler (24 points). Her 24 points against Butler marked a season high and fifth 20-point game of the season. Nogic leads the Friars and ranks eighth among BIG EAST players in scoring with 14.3 points per game.
FRIARS FINISHED NON-CONFERENCE ACTION BY WINNING EIGHT OF LAST 10 GAMES... Providence College started the season with an 0-2 record, losing to Penn State (74-72) and Quinnipiac (48-44) by a combined total of six points. The Friars finished non-conference play by winning eight of their last 10 games. Their only losses in the span came to in-state rival Rhode Island, 72-65, in the opening game of the 3rd Annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament. Providence also fell to Northeastern, 65-59.
JOVANA NOGIC NAMED TO ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE AWARD WATCH LIST... On Oct. 23, it was announced that Jovana Nogic was named to the 20-player watch list for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which is presented annually to the top shooting guard in NCAA Division I. It marks the second-straight season that Nogic has been featured on the watch list.
JOVANA NOGIC FEATURED ON 11-PLAYER PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAM... Jovana Nogic was named to the 2018-19 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team on Oct. 25 at the league's annual media day at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Nogic is one of 11 players to earn preseason recognition. It marks the second-straight year that she has earned Preseason All-BIG EAST honors. Nogic was named an All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention honoree at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season.Â
CHANELL WILLIAMS NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON... Providence College sophomore guard Chanell Williams was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 17. It marked the second time this season that Williams has been named to the Weekly Honor Roll, having previously earned those accolades on Nov. 26. Last week, Williams scored a team-high 20 points in the Friars' only game of the week against unbeaten Northeastern. It marked the second time this season that Williams reached the 20-point plateau – and second time in her career. She hit 9-15 attempts from the field (.600) and added two rebounds, one assist and a career-high five steals. Additionally, she scored 10 of her 20 points during the fourth quarter, bringing the Friars to within two points of the Huskies with just over a minute to play in the game.Â
JOVANA NOGIC NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Jovana Nogic earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognition for the first time during the 2018-19 season on Dec. 3. Nogic averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a 3-1 week for the Friars. She closed the week with back-to-back 20-point games against URI (20) and Bryant (22) during the 3rd Annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, and was named to the All-Tournament Team. In Providence's 72-64 victory over Bryant, she scored the Friars' final nine points in the last 1:14 of the game on a three-point bucket and a 6-6 performance at the foul line. In Providence's 59-42 win over Yale (Nov. 29), as she scored 10 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter. The Friars held a slim, 41-39, lead heading into the final 10 minutes against the Bulldogs, and she accounted for 10 of the Friars' 18 points, overall, in the fourth quarter. For the week, she shot .407 from the field (22-54), including 15-37 from three-point range (.405). She also was 11-11 from the free-throw line.
FRIARS EARN FIRST WIN OVER FORMER BIG EAST RIVAL BOSTON COLLEGE AT CONTE FORUM SINCE 1995-96 SEASON... Providence College defeated Boston College, 61-57, on Nov. 27 at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass. It marked Boston College's first loss of the season (6-1). The victory also was the first for Providence at Conte Forum since Feb. 17, 1996. It's also the first back-to-back victories over the Eagles since 1993-1994. The Friars are just one of two teams to hold the Eagles below 60 points.
LOOKING BACK AT 2017-18 SEASON... The Friars finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 10-21 overall record and a 3-15 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. Providence fell to Butler in overtime, 73-67, in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round, held at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill.Â
WHAT'S NEXT... The Friars return to action against Georgetown on Feb. 3 at McDonough Arena in Washington, D.C. The game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) via FOX Sports Go and is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 p.m.
