Women's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Conference Play At Villanova On Dec. 29

FRIARS OPEN BIG EAST CONFERENCE PLAY AT VILLANOVA... The Friars will travel to Villanova, Pa. to face the Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on Sunday, Dec. 29. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on FS1.

FAMILIAR FOE... The Friars have played the Wildcats 75 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, 48-27. The Wildcats have earned victories in eight of the last 10 regular-season games. Providence and Villanova split the season series in 2018-19, with each team winning on its home court. Providence earned a 67-61 victory at Alumni Hall on Jan. 6, 2019. The Wildcats claimed a 53-33 win at Finneran Pavilion on Feb. 1, 2019.

FRIARS AND WILDCATS IN VILLANOVA, PA. ... The Friars and Wildcats have met 32 times in Villanova, Pa. The Wildcats lead the series on their home court, 26-6. Providence is 0-1 vs. Villanova at Finneran Pavilion.

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, at The Pavilion. Since then, Providence has lost eight-straight games to the Wildcats on their home court.

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.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA... The Wildcats enter BIG EAST play with a 5-5 overall record, including a 2-2 mark at Finneran Pavilion. Villanova opened the season with three-straight losses, but has won five of its last seven games. It their most recent game, the Wildcats defeated La Salle, 77-69, in Big Five action as Madison Siegrist put up 41 points. She earned National Freshman of the Week honors for her efforts.

PLAYERS TO WATCH... Red-shirt freshman Madison Siegrist leads the BIG EAST and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring with 22.0 points per game. She is shooting 52-percent from the field (86-165) and also contributes a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game. Mary Gedaka is second on the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) and adds 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

STARTING OFF BIG EAST PLAY ON THE RIGHT FOOT... The Friars have lost four-straight BIG EAST Conference openers. The last time Providence started the conference slate with a victory dates back to Dec. 3, 2014. On that day, the Friars knocked off Villanova, 51-49, at Alumni Hall.

FOUR GAMES IN FIVE DAYS... Providence played a grueling stretch of four games in five days in the Southwest, beginning with a 67-60 win over Utah in Salt Lake City. After one day off, Providence resumed play with three-straight games at the 2019 Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. (Dec. 18-20). The Friars dropped an 86-68 decision to host New Mexico to open the tournament. The following day, Ball State scored five unanswered points, including a three-pointer with 9-seconds left in regulation to defeat Providence, 52-21. The Friars rebounded to defeat Loyola Marymount, 48-45, in the final game of the trip to post a 2-2 record.

ROAD WARRIORS... The Friars have played 10 of their first 12 games on the road, and will make it 12 of the first 14 when opening BIG EAST play at Villanova (Dec. 29) and Georgetown (Dec. 31). Heading into Sunday's game against Villanova, the Friars are 5-2 in true road games and 2-1 on a neutral court to post a combined 7-3 mark away from home. Providence is 2-0 this season at Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I.

FRIARS FINISH NON-CONFERENCE PLAY AT 9-3... Providence College concluded its non-conference schedule with a 9-3 record. Jim Crowley has led the Friars to at least eight wins in regular-season non-conference play during three of his four years at the helm. Last year, Providence finished the non-conference slate 8-4 and in 2016-17 the Friars also posted an 8-4 mark. Crowley's lowest win total in the non-conference action with Providence came during the 2017-18 season (7-6).

FRIARS IMPROVE TO 14-5 UNDER JIM CROWLEY AT IN-SEASON TOURNAMENTS... Providence improved to 14-5 under Jim Crowley when competing at in-season tournaments, with a 3-2 record during the 2019-20 campaign. Providence won the 4th Annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, defeating Bryant (76-32) and Rhode Island (58-51). The Friars posted a 1-2 mark at the Lobo Invitational to close non-conference play (Dec. 18-20). Providence suffered losses to host New Mexico (86-68), Ball State (52-51) and defeated Loyola Marymount (48-45).

DEFENSE... The Friars rank first in the BIG EAST and 25th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (.342). Providence also ranks first in the conference in scoring defense (56.5 ppg) and is 41st in the nation in that category.

FRIARS RANK 9TH IN THE NATION IN THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE... The Friars lead the BIG EAST and rank ninth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.395), having hit 83-210 attempts from beyond the arc.

THREE-POINT THREATS... Leading the charge from the three-point line are Kaela Webb and Kyra Spiwak. Webb ranks first in the BIG EAST and 34th in the NCAA in three-point field goals made (33). She also ranks second in the BIG EAST and 46th in the nation in three-pointers made per game (2.75). Spiwak is second in the BIG EAST and 39th in the nation in three-point percentage (.440).

ANOTHER THREE-POINT SHOOTER ON THE SCOUTING REPORT... Earlette Scott is another player on the roster you have to respect behind the arc. She shot 0-4 from deep as a freshman in 2018-19 and started this season 1-5 through five games. However, over the course of the Friars' last seven games, Scott has hit 9-16 three-point attempts (.563). She hit a season-best 4-4 attempts from deep during the Friars' win over Pac-12 foe Utah on Dec. 16.

FRIARS WIN 2019 OCEAN STATE TIP-OFF TITLE... The Friars defeated in-state rivals Bryant (76-32) and Rhode Island (58-51) in the 4th Annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament held in Smithfield, R.I. on Dec. 7-8. It marked the Friars' first championship in the tournament's existence. Mary Baskerville was named Most Outstanding Player, while Earlette Scott claimed All-Tournament Team honors.

FRIARS POST LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY SINCE 1991... The Friars defeated Bryant, 76-32, in the opening round of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 7 in Smithfield, R.I. Providence's 44-point margin of victory is the largest since defeating Syracuse by 46 (106-60) on Feb. 20, 1991.

FRIARS GRIND OUT A 7-POINT VICTORY AGAINST URI... Providence trailed Rhode Island at halftime in the championship game of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament (28-25). The game featured 11 lead changes and five ties, with Providence holding the lead for a total span of just 9:16. Providence took a 49-47 advantage with 3:01 to play in the fourth quarter and held on down the stretch for the win, out-scoring URI 17-11 in the final frame. Mary Baskerville scored 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter. Kaela Webb rounded out the fourth-quarter scoring with six points, including a 4-4 performance from the foul line in the final 43-seconds. Earlette Scott netted a career-high 18 points in the game on 8-10 shooting, while Olivia Orlando hauled in a career-high 14 rebounds and dished four assists.

KYRA SPIWAK STEPPING UP IN JUNIOR SEASON... In her first two seasons with the team, junior Kyra Spiwak played 14 minutes per game off the bench as a reserve and averaged 2.2 points per contest. Through the 11 games she has played in 2019-20, Spiwak has reached double figures in the scoring column five times, including a career-best 22 points at Monmouth on Nov. 20. She ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game and is shooting an impressive 44-percent from three-point territory (22-50). Spiwak's highest single-season scoring average coming into the 2019-20 campaign was 2.3 points per game as a freshman in 2017-18 (26 games).

REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE... Through 12 games, seven different players have led the team in rebounding. Mary Baskerville has led the Friars on the boards five times, while Orlando has been the leading rebounder in four games.

LIMITED MINUTES --> BIG IMPACT... Mary Baskerville has played nine of the Friars' 12 games this season and is averaging just 18.4 minutes per game. She has played 20+ minutes in just three games, including a career-high 29 minutes against Loyola Marymount on Dec. 20. Despite limited minutes on the court, she's been able to put up big numbers quickly. She is shooting 55.7-percent from the floor (44-79) and has hit double figures in the scoring column seven times. She also leads Providence with two double-doubles and three double-digit rebounding games. The unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection leads the team in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).

UTILITY PLAYER... Junior Olivia Orlando averages a modest 3.9 points per game as a member of the Friars' starting five. What she lacks in scoring, she makes up for in every other facet of the game. She ranks second in rebounding (6.3 rpg), assists (3.0 apg) and steals (1.3 spg). Her 46 field-goal attempts are the fewest on the team among players who average 20+ minutes per game. When she does look to score, she shoots 48-percent from the field (22-46). Orlando also ranks third in the BIG EAST and 15th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.77).

MARY BASKERVILLE NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Mary Baskerville was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 9. She guided the Friars to a 2-1 record last week, and also was named Most Outstanding Player at the 4th Annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 8. In three games, Baskerville averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game, and shot 63.3-percent from the field (19-30). In the Friars' lone loss, she tallied 19 points and nine rebounds against Yale. That game originally began on Nov. 5, before it was suspended at halftime. The Friars and Bulldogs completed the second half of play on Dec. 3 in New Haven, Conn. At the Ocean State Tip-Off in Smithfield, R.I., Baskerville tallied 14 points and four rebounds in 15 minutes of action against Bryant. She followed with 15 points and five rebounds in the championship game against Rhode Island. Baskerville scored 11 of her 15 points in a decisive fourth quarter effort, while shooting 4-4 from the field, to give Providence a 58-51 victory.

KAELA WEBB NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL IN BACK-TO-BACK WEEKS... Sophomore Kaela Webb was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll in back-to-back weeks to start the season (Nov. 11 and Nov. 18). It marks her first appearances on the league's weekly honor roll, having previously been recognized among the weekly award winners as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week last season (Jan. 21). Webb is currently averaging 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

FRIARS SUFFER FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON TO YALE UNDER ODD CIRCUMSTANCES... Providence suffered an 82-79 loss to Yale, marking its first defeat of the season. In an odd scenario, the game began on Nov. 5 and was suspended at halftime due to a scoreboard malfunction, with the Friars leading 42-33. The game resumed on Dec. 3 and Providence raced out to a 17-point lead early in the third. Yale responded with a 19-2 scoring run and held on down the stretch for the three-point victory. Mary Baskerville posted a team-best 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Kyra Spiwak and Kaela Webb contributed 16 points and 15 points, respectively. Ellen Margaret Andrews paced Yale with 23 points, while Roxy Barahman added 19. The duo put the Bulldogs on their back en route to the victory, scoring 33 of the team's 49 points in the second half rally.

TOP SHOOTING PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON CLOUDED BY LOSS... The Friars shot a season-best 58.5-percent from the field (31-53) and tied their season-best shooting performance from beyond the arc (.500, 8-16) in their loss to Yale. Despite Providence's impressive shooting, Yale held a +14 scoring advantage at the foul line. The Bulldogs converted 23-32 attempts at the charity stripe, compared to the Friars' 9-15 shooting at the line.

PROVIDENCE WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT OVER REGIONAL FOE BOSTON COLLEGE... The Friars defeated Boston College, 76-70, on Nov. 17 in Providence, R.I. It marked the third-straight victory over the Eagles in the all-time series. The last time Providence won three-straight games against Boston College dates back to the 1991-92 through 1992-93 seasons.

PROVIDENCE DOMINATES THE GLASS AGAINST HARTFORD... The Friars out-rebounded Hartford, 41-23, on Nov. 13 en route to a 75-57 victory. The Hawks 23 boards marked the lowest rebounding total by an opponent since Jan. 27, 2017, when the Friars allowed just 22 boards to Marquette. It also marks the largest rebounding margin for the Friars since holding a +19 advantage on the boards against Sacred Heart on Nov. 21, 2018.

CROWLEY PICKS UP 300th NCAA DIVISION I HEAD COACHING VICTORY... Providence College Head Coach Jim Crowley picked up his 300th NCAA Division I victory on Nov. 9 as the Friars defeated UMass, 72-63. Crowley compiled 258 NCAA Division I wins in 16 seasons at St. Bonaventure (2000-16) and currently owns 50 wins at Providence in his fourth season with the program.

FRIARS PICKED TO FINISH TIED FOR FIFTH IN BIG EAST PRESEASON COACHES' POLL... Providence College was picked to finish in a tie for fifth place in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, released on Oct. 10 at Madison Square Garden as part of the league's annual media day event.

MARY BASKERVILLE NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAM AS ONE OF FOUR UNANIMOUS SELECTIONS... Sophomore Mary Baskerville was a unanimous selection to the 2019-20 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, announced at the league's annual media day at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 10. She earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Year accolades at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, in addition to a unanimous selection to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. She is just the second player in program history to earn BIG EAST Freshman of the Year recognition, and first since Friar great Tracy Lis '92 was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in 1989. Baskerville also was a five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, marking the most freshman of the week honors in program history. As a rookie, Baskerville averaged 9.5 points per game and led the Friars in rebounding (7.3 rpg), blocked shots (1.5 bpg), double-doubles (six) and field-goal percentage (.580, 141-243). She established program records for blocked shots (53) and field-goal percentage (.580) for a freshman. Additionally, her .580 field-goal percentage was the second-highest for a single-season in program history overall, trailing Elizabeth Lawlor's shooting clip of .581 (193-332) during the 1988-89 season.

MOST WINS IN BIG EAST PLAY SINCE 1996-97... The Friars completed the 2018-19 regular-season schedule with an 8-10 mark in the BIG EAST Conference and finished in tie for sixth place in the league standings. The Friars' eight wins were the most in conference play since 1996-97, when Providence also finished with an 8-10 mark. It marked just the fourth time in the last 20 years that the Friars have recorded six or more victories in league play.

FRIARS COMING OFF OF FIRST POST-SEASON APPEARANCE SINCE 2010... The Friars' 2019 WNIT selection marked the program's 15th post-season appearance overall and first since 2010. Complete post-season breakdown below (records in parentheses).

2018-19 WNIT Round of 16 - (2-1)

2009-10 WNIT Quarterfinal Round (3-1)

1991-92 NCAA Tournament First Round (0-1)

1990-91 NCAA Tournament Second Round (1-1)

1989-90 NCAA Tournament East Regional (1-1)

1988-89 NCAA Tournament First Round (0-1)

1986-87 National Women's Invitational Tournament (1-2)

1985-86 NCAA Tournament First Round (0-1)

1981-82 EAIAW Regional Tournament (0-1)

1980-81 EAIAW Regional Tournament (0-1)

1979-80 EAIAW National Tournament (3-1)

1978-79 EAIAW Regional Tournament (0-1)

1977-78 EAIAW Regional Tournament (1-1)

1976-77 EAIAW Regional Tournament (2-2)

1975-76 EAIAW Regional Tournament (1-2)

HEAD COACH JIM CROWLEY IN POST-SEASON PLAY... Jim Crowley guided the Friars to their first post-season appearance since 2010, having earned a bid to the 2019 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Friars claimed wins over Hartford (71-54) and Penn (64-54), before falling to Georgetown (53-46) in the Round of 16. Prior to his arrival on Smith Hill, Crowley led St. Bonaventure to four WNIT appearances and two NCAA Tournament berths. Crowley is 10-7 all-time in post-season play, including a 7-5 mark in the WNIT. Crowley is 2-1 in the postseason as head coach at Providence College.

FRIARS IN OVERTIME GAMES UNDER JIM CROWLEY... Providence is 5-4 in overtime games under the direction of Head Coach Jim Crowley, including a 3-0 mark last season (2018-19). The Friars are 3-3 vs. BIG EAST opponents in overtime.

RPI UPDATE... Through games played Dec. 22, the Friars sit at No. 64 in the NCAA RPI. Providence was ranked as high as No. 38 in the RPI, before falling to New Mexico and Ball State at the Lobo Invitational. DePaul leads the BIG EAST members in the RPI at No. 8, followed by Creighton (14), Marquette (49) and St. John's (55). Seton Hall rounds out the list of BIG EAST schools inside the top-100 at No. 71.

WHAT'S NEXT... Providence will remain on the road to face Georgetown at McDonough Arena in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m.

HOME-SWEET-HOME... The Friars will return to Alumni Hall for their first home game since Nov. 24 when they host DePaul (Jan. 3) and Marquette (Jan. 5).

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Players Mentioned

Mary Baskerville

Olivia Orlando

Earlette Scott

Kyra Spiwak

Kaela Webb