Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Villanova

PROVIDENCE WELCOMES VILLANOVA TO ALUMNI HALL.. The Providence College women's basketball team will host Villanova on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be played at Alumni Hall/Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I.

LIVE BROADCAST... The Friars' game vs. Villanova will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) via FOX Sports Go. Watch the game live using the FOX Sports Go app on a mobile device or tablet, or by navigating to http://www.FoxSportsGo.com using a desktop or laptop computer.

FAMILIAR FOE... The Friars have played the Wildcats 73 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, 47-26. The Wildcats have earned victories in 10 of the last 11 regular-season games, including each of the last seven.

THE LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED VILLANOVA... The Friars last defeated Villanova on Dec. 3, 2014. On that day, the Friars secured a 51-49 victory at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE TIES... Villanova Associate Head Coach Joe Mullaney, Jr. has ties to Providence College. He served as Head Coach for the Providence College women's basketball program for three seasons (1980-83), leading the Friars to two Northeast AIAW Regional Tournament berths (1981, 1982) and consecutive 20-win seasons. The Friars finished the 1981-82 campaign with a 25-9 record and followed with a 24-6 mark during his final season as head coach in 1982-83. He also played for three season at Providence College on the men's basketball team under Head Coach Dave Gavitt. Mullaney is the son of Friar Legend Joe Mullaney, who coached the men's basketball program for 18 seasons, compiling a 319-164 record (0.660). During that time, Mullaney led two teams to the NIT Championship in 1961 and 1963, while coaching six All-Americans. Mullaney Gymnasium is named in honor of the late Joe Mullaney, Sr.

DEFEND THE THREE-POINT LINE... The Wildcats are shooting .332 from the three-point line this season (130-391) and .419 (303-723) overall. More than half of Villanova's shot attempts this season have come from beyond the arc (54-percent). The Friars enter the game with the league's second-best three-point field goal percentage defense, allowing just .261 shooting from deep through 15 games (68-261).

GEORGETOWN PULLS AWAY IN FOURTH QUARTER TO DEFEAT FRIARS... Providence and Georgetown were tied, 45-45, heading into the fourth quarter on Friday night [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 SCHEDULED 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.

LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED A RANKED OPPONENT... Providence last defeated a nationally-ranked opponent on Jan. 23, 2013. On that day, the Friars outlasted #RV/25 Villanova, 65-60, in overtime. 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.

FRIARS CAN'T OVERCOME POOR FIRST-HALF SHOOTING IN LEAGUE OPENER AT MARQUETTE... The Friars opened BIG EAST Conference action with an 85-46 loss to No. 22/19 Marquette on Dec. 29. Providence hit just 3-30 shot attempts in the first half and found themselves trailing by 28 at halftime (40-12). The Friars finished the game 14-24 from the floor in the second half (.500), but the deficit was too great to overcome against the high-scoring Golden Eagles, who entered the game averaging 84 points per game. Jovana Nogic led Providence with 12 points, while Baskerville totaled eight points and a team-best five boards in 14 minutes of action before fouling out. Alyssa Geary posted nine points and four rebounds. Marquette forced 23 miscues by Providence in the game and collected 18 steals, outscoring the Friars 21-7 in points off of turnovers. Natisha Hiedeman paced all scorers for Marquette with 25 points. Defensively, the Friars held the one of the top three-point shooting team in the conference to just 25-percent on the day (3-12). Marquette entered the game shooting .384 from beyond the arc (104-271).

DE PAUL PULLS AWAY IN SECOND HALF TO DEFEAT PROVIDENCE... The Providence College women's basketball team fell to No. 19/20 DePaul, 88-62, on Dec. 31 at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Chicago, Ill. The Friars trailed 14-6 midway through the first quarter, but rallied to within one (16-15) on a 9-2 scoring spurt. Providence defended well, holding the Blue Demons without a field goal in the final 4:45 of the quarter and trailed 18-17 at the break. DePaul took its largest lead of the first half with 2:06 remaining on the clock (32-23). Providence's Alyssa Geary answered with a three-point bucket in transition to get the Friars within six (32-26) at the 1:32 mark. DePaul closed the first half with three unanswered points and took a 34-26 lead into the locker room at halftime. An 18-2 run in the third quarter provided the Blue Demons with a 60-36 cushion with 2:41 on the clock, despite 50-percent shooting by the Friars (5-10). DePaul hit 9-16 attempts from the floor during the run, including six three-point buckets. Providence went on a 7-0 run over the final 1:27 of the third quarter to get within 62-43. The Blue Demons held a 28-17 scoring advantage overall during the stanza. The Blue Demons maintained control of the game in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the Friars 26-19 in the final 10 minutes. Freshman Mary Baskerville scored all of her team-high 17 points in the second half. She also added seven rebounds and two blocked shots, while shooting 8-11 from the field. Maddie Jolin completed the game with nine points, four rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Kyra Spiwak matched her career highs in scoring and rebounding with seven points and a team-best nine boards.

MARY BASKERVILLE MAKES SOLID IMPACT EARLY ON IN BIG EAST PLAY... Freshman forward Mary Baskerville was impressive during her first three BIG EAST Conference games. In league play, she ranks second on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg) and leads the Friars in rebounding (7.0 ppg) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg). She also is shooting .565 from the field (13-23), which is good for sixth place among BIG EAST players.

KYRA SPIWAK MATCHES CAREER HIGHS IN SCORING AND REBOUNDING... Sophomore Kyra Spiwak matched her career highs in scoring (7 pts) and rebounding (9 rebs) in the Friars' game vs. No. 19/20 DePaul on Dec 31. Spiwak previously recorded seven points against St. John's (1/2/18) and nine rebounds vs. Seton Hall (1/26/18) as a rookie last season.

MADDIE JOLIN DISHES CAREER-BEST SEVEN ASSISTS AT DE PAUL... Senior guard Maddie Jolin dished a career-best seven assists against No. 19/20 DePaul on Dec. 31. Earlier this season, she handed out a personal-best six assists against Yale (Nov. 29). In 100 career games, Jolin has dished 5+ assists five times, including two games this season.

JOVANA NOGIC HELD WITHOUT A FIELD GOAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER CAREER AT PROVIDENCE... Senior guard Jovana Nogic has played 105 games for Providence College and 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 with a team-high 15 points against Georgetown on Jan. 4 in the team's most recent game. Nogic leads the Friars and ranks 10th among BIG EAST players in scoring with 13.4 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, who currently boasts an 11-1 record.

PROVIDENCE GOES UNBEATEN IN FRIAR HOLIDAY CLASSIC... Providence College entered BIG EAST play on a three-game win streak, having gone 3-0 in the Friar Holiday Classic in Providence, R.I. Providence started the tournament with a 66-47 victory over Pepperdine (Dec. 19), and then had to grind out a 48-43 victory over Northern Kentucky (Dec. 20). On Dec. 21, the Friars defeated La Salle, 77-47, who entered the match-up 2-0 in the tournament.

30-POINT MARGIN... The Friars' 30-point victory over La Salle on Dec. 21 marks the largest margin of victory since defeating Savannah State, 78-48, on Nov. 21, 2017 in Savannah, Ga.

DOUBLE-TROUBLE... Freshman Mary Baskerville recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds against La Salle. She joins Maddie Jolin as one of two players on the active roster to record a double-double during their careers.

10-POINTS OR LESS... Eight of the Friars' 15 games have been decided by 10-points or less. Providence has posted a 4-4 record in those games, including a 2-2 mark in games decided by five-points or less.

SINGLE-DIGITS... Four of the Friars' seven losses this season have been decided by single-digits. Each of the four single-digit losses came during non-conference play.

HITTING THE GLASS... Providence owns a 6-0 record this season when they out-rebound or post the same number of rebounds as their opponents.

NOGIC CRACKS TOP-10 ALL-TIME IN SCORING AT PROVIDENCE... Jovana Nogic owns 1,441 career points (13.7 ppg) and cracked the top-10 on the Friars' all-time scoring list. Since the start of the season, she has jumped nine spots on the list and currently ranks ninth. Nogic recently passed Providence College Hall of Famer and current ESPN analyst Doris (Sable) Burke '87 (1,372) and Kerri Chatten '98 (1,378). Eighth place is currently occupied by Providence College Hall of Famer Lucie Fontanella '94 (1,446). Nogic needs just six points to take sole possession of eighth place.

THREE-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH 40+ REBOUNDS... The Friars recorded 40-or-more rebounds in three-consecutive games for the first time since the 2014-15 season. That year, Providence hauled in 40+ rebounds in three-straight games against DePaul (47), Villanova (41) and Georgetown (43). This season, Providence secured 47 boards against Sacred Heart, 46 vs. Boston College and 40 against Yale.

FRIARS HAVE RECORDED 40+ REBOUNDS IN FIVE GAMES OVERALL... Providence has recorded 40+ rebounds in five games this season. It marks the most 40+ rebound games in a single season since 2015-16. During that campaign, the Friars also collected 40+ rebounds in five games.

FRIARS POST +19 ADVANTAGE ON THE BOARDS... The Friars' 47 boards vs. Sacred Heart (Nov. 21) are the most in a single game since Dec. 21, 2016, when the squad also hauled in 47 points vs. Monmouth. Providence's +19 rebounding margin marked the largest rebounding margin for the Friars since out-rebounding UMass Lowell, 65-39 (+26), on Nov. 9, 2013. Additionally, the Friars matched their season high in rebounding on Dec. 21 against La Salle (47-33).

DEFENSE... Providence is 6-1 this season when holding its opponents below 35-percent shooting from the field, including a 3-1 mark against teams it 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).

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 Sunday's game against Villanova, Nogic has hit 274 three-pointers (274-675, 406).

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.

20-POINT PLATEAU... Two Friars have scored 20+ points in a game this season, through 14 games. Jovana Nogic has hit the mark three times, with 20 points against Rhode Island and a season-high 22 points against Bryant and Pepperdine. Nogic has scored 20+ points in 21 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.

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.

NOGIC RANKS AMONG NCAA ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS FROM BEYOND THE ARC... Jovana Nogic ranks 12th among active NCAA Division I players in career three-point percentage. Nogic has hit 40.6-percent of her attempts from beyond the arc (274-675). Additionally, she ranks 17th among active NCAA career leaders in three-pointers made per game (2.61) and 11th in three-point field goals made (274).

MARY BASKERVILLE NAMED BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK... Freshman forward Mary Baskerville earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors for the first time in her career after propelling Providence to a 3-0 record in the Friar Holiday Classic. She averaged 10.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocked shots and 1.0 steal per game in three-straight victories as part of the Friar Holiday Classic. She shot an impressive .591 (13-22) from the field, and capped off the week with the first double-double of her collegiate career against La Salle University, recording 18 points and 17 rebounds. She also was named to the Friar Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. For the season, Baskerville is averaging 7.6 points and 6.8 rebounds. She leads the team with 18 blocked shots and is second in steals, with 14. She also is shooting .514 from the floor (36-70).

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. Leading into the Friar Holiday Classic, Williams ranks second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) and assists (2.3 apg) and averages 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. She leads the Friars and ranks fifth among BIG EAST Conference players in field-goal percentage (.554, 41-74).

JOVANA NOGIC NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Jovana Nogic earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognition for the first time during the 2017-18 season on Monday, 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 Rhode Island (20) and Bryant (22) during the Third 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, leading 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 HAND BOSTON COLLEGE FIRST LOSS OF THE 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 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. Boston College is 11-3 this season and the Friars are the only team to hold the Eagles below 60 points.

KAELA WEBB NETS MOST POINTS IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT AT PROVIDENCE SINCE 2013... Freshman guard Kaela Webb came off the bench to score 15 points in her collegiate debut with the Friars against Penn State (Nov. 8). Her 15 points are the most by a freshman at Providence in their collegiate debut since Sarah Beal '17 posted 20 points vs. UMass Lowell on Nov. 9, 2013. She was 6-11 from the field (.545), including 2-4 shooting from three-point territory. She also recorded one rebound, two assists and two steals in 23 minutes of action.

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.

PROVIDENCE SET THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE RECORD IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS... The Friars have set a single-season record for three-point field goal percentage each of the last two seasons. In 2016-17, Providence shot a school-record 0.374 from beyond the arc (192-514). Last season, the Friars topped the single-season record book, once again, shooting 0.391 from three-point territory (192-491).

MORE FROM DEEP... In each of the last two seasons, the Friars have connected on 192 three-point field goals. Providence's 192 three-pointers during the 2017-18 and 2016-17 are tied for the third-most triples in program history for a single season.

FRIARS IN OVERTIME GAMES UNDER JIM CROWLEY... Providence is 2-4 in overtime games under the direction of third-year Friars Head Coach Jim Crowley. In his first season with the program (2016-17), Providence posted a 1-2 mark in overtime games. In 2017-18, Providence compiled a 1-2 mark in overtime. The Friars are 2-0 in overtime games when they score 90+ points, and they are 0-3 in overtime vs. BIG EAST Conference opponents.

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Players Mentioned

Mary Baskerville

Alyssa Geary

Maddie Jolin

Jovana Nogic

Kyra Spiwak

Kaela Webb

Chanell Williams

Providence College Athletics