Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Xavier

FRIARS CLOSE THE WEEKEND WITH XAVIER... Providence will host Xavier on Sunday, Jan. 26 at Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. and the game will be televised live on FS2.

FRIARS AND MUSKETEERS ALL-TIME... Providence and Xavier have met 13 times during the history of the two women's basketball programs. The Musketeers lead the all-time series, 8-5. However, the Friars have earned victories in each of the last four meetings.

REMATCH OF LAST YEAR'S BIG EAST TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND... The Friars and Musketeers last met on March 9, 2019 in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. Providence defeated Xavier, 70-62, marking its first BIG EAST Tournament victory since 2001. Additionally, Providence finished the season 3-0 vs. the Musketeers, having earned wins in each game of the regular-season series.

FRIARS AND MUSKETEERS ALL-TIME AT ALUMNI HALL... The Friars and Musketeers have met six times at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. The series is tied, 3-3, on the Friars' home court, with Providence taking each of the last two meetings at the venue.

SINGLE DIGITS... Six of the 13 meetings between the two programs have been decided by single digits, including each of the last two games.

SCOUTING XAVIER... Xavier enters Sunday's game with a 2-17 overall record, including a 1-7 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. It's lone league win came against Georgetown (85-64) on Jan. 10 in Washington, D.C. The Musketeers are under the direction of first-year Head Coach Melanie Moore, who spent the previous seven seasons at Michigan, most recently serving as associate head coach.

PLAYER TO WATCH... Unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection A'Riana Gray enters Sunday's game averaging a team-best 16.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and ranks second in assists (2.2 apg). In the last three games she has played against Providence, she has averaged 18.7 points and 14.3 rebounds per contest, including two games with 20+ points.

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.

FRIARS HAVE DROPPED 10 OF LAST 11 GAMES... Providence has lost 10 of its last 11 games, including seven losses by 10 points or less. During the stretch, the Friars have posted an 0-8 mark in BIG EAST play.

ROAD WARRIORS... The Friars have played 15 of their 20 games on the road. The Friars are 5-7 in true road games and 2-1 on a neutral court to post a combined 7-7 mark away from home. Providence is 2-3 this season at Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I. The Friars fell to Butler, 50-47, in their most recent game on Jan. 24 at Alumni Hall.

ALYSSA GEARY NOTCHES FIRST CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE... Sophomore Alyssa Geary notched her first career double-double against Butler on Jan. 24. The 6-4 forward tallied 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. She shot 4-6 from the field, including 2-3 from beyond the arc, and also contributed three assists, two blocked shots and one steal. Her 36 minutes of action marked a career-high.

BALL SECURITY... The Friars committed a season-high 26 turnovers on Jan. 24 against Butler and the Bulldogs used a 22-6 edge in points off of turnovers to help decide the outcome as Butler defeated Providence, 50-47. The Friars held Butler to 25-percent shooting (15-61) and owned a +11 advantage on the glass (46-35). The Friars trailed 13-6 after the first 10 minutes of play, but went on to out-score the Bulldogs in each of the last three quarters. However, the initial seven-point deficit proved too large. A trio of sophomores paced the Friars, who were led in scoring by Earlette Scott (13 points). Mary Baskerville notched nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Alyssa Geary recorded her first double-double on 11 points and 10 boards.

DOUBLE-DIGIT REBOUNDS... Mary Baskerville (12) and Alyssa Geary (10) each recorded double-digit rebounds on Jan. 24 vs. Butler. The last time two Friars recorded double-digit rebounds in the same game dates back to the 2014-15 season. On Jan. 11, 2015, Alexis Harris (11) and Chanise Baldwin (12) achieved the feat against Seton Hall.

MARY BASKERVILLE RECORDS 10th CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE... Mary Baskerville notched her fourth double-double of the season and the 10th of her career against St. John's on Jan. 17. She netted 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against the Red Storm. It also marked the second double-double for Baskerville during BIG EAST play in 2019-20, and six of her 10 career double-doubles have been recorded during regular-season conference play overall.

BLOCK PARTY... Mary Baskerville stands atop of the BIG EAST with 1.9 blocked shots per game. In 17 games played, Baskerville has recorded 33 blocked shots. Alyssa Geary ranks fifth, with 1.5 blocked shots per game and 30 rejections overall. Twelve of Geary's 30 blocks have come during BIG EAST regular-season action.

MARY BASKERVILLE RANKS AMONG NCAA DIVISION I ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE... Mary Baskerville leads the Friars, ranks second in the BIG EAST and 34th in the nation in field-goal percentage this season. She is shooting 55.3-percent from the field this season (89-161). For her career, she has hit 230-404 attempts from the floor (.569), which ranks her 21st among NCAA Division I active career leaders in field goal percentage. As a rookie in 2018-19, she recorded the second-highest field-goal percentage in program history for a single-season, and set the program's all-time record for field-goal percentage by a freshman (.580, 141-243).

FRIARS RANK 21st IN THE NATION IN THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE... The Friars enter Sunday's game against Xavier ranked 27th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.367). Providence has hit 126-343 attempts from beyond the arc through 20 games.

RECENT STRUGGLES FROM DEEP... In mid-December, the Friars were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in three-point percentage. However, Providence has failed to shoot above 30-percent beyond the arc in six of the last 10 games. During the Friars' eight BIG EAST Conference games, they have shot .323 (43-133) from the arc.

KAELA WEBB LEADS THE CHARGE FROM DEEP... Kaela Webb leads the Friars from beyond the arc, shooting 40-percent (52-130) overall. She ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in three-point percentage and fourth in the league in three-pointers made per game (2.6). Additionally, her 52 made three-pointers on the season ranks 26th among NCAA Division I players. She has made 3+ three-pointers in 10 of the Friars' 20 games, including a career high six triples against UMass on Nov. 9. During her career, she has hit 99 three-pointers and needs one more to hit the century mark (99-251, .394).

AT THE HALF... Providence has led or has been tied with its opponent at the half in 13 of its 20 games, including four of eight BIG EAST Conference games. The Friars have posted a 7-6 record in those games.

REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE... Through 19 games, nine different players have led the team in rebounding. Mary Baskerville has led the Friars on the boards 11 times, while Olivia Orlando has been the leading rebounder in four games.

STAYING ON THE COURT... Mary Baskerville has played 17 of the Friars' 20 games this season and is averaging 20.8 minutes per game. She has played 20+ minutes in just eight games overall, including a career-high 29 minutes against Butler on Jan. 24. Despite limited minutes on the court, she's been able to put up big numbers quickly. She is shooting 55-percent from the floor (89-161) and has hit double figures in the scoring column 12 times, including two 20-point games. She also leads Providence with four double-doubles and six double-digit rebounding games. The unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection leads the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocked shots (1.9 bpg).

PROVIDENCE SUFFERS LOPSIDED LOSS AT SETON HALL... Providence suffered its largest margin of defeat this season on Jan. 19 at Seton Hall (97-55). The Pirates held a 22-5 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter and never looked back. The Friars committed a season-high 23 turnovers and the Pirates took advantage of those miscues on the scoreboard, 20-0. Mary Baskerville hit her first six shot attempts from the field and finished 6-7 from the floor for the game. She was the only Friar to reach double figures in the scoring column (14 points) and added four rebounds, two blocks and one assist.

FRIARS HOLD ADVANTAGE IN SEVERAL STATISTICAL CATEGORIES BUT FALL TO THE RED STORM... On Jan. 17, Providence led St. John's in rebounding (47-30), points in the paint (36-24), second-chance points (10-3) and bench points (14-10), but it was not enough to give Providence the victory. The Red Storm took advantage of the Friars' 18 miscues to gain an 11-2 edge on the scoreboard in points off of turnovers. Additionally, St. John's used an 18-2 advantage in fast-break points to help earn a 64-58 victory over Providence. Mary Baskerville recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Earlette Scott also added 12 points for the Friars.

CREIGHTON USES STRONG FOURTH QUARTER RALLY TO DEFEAT FRIARS... Despite holding a lead for nearly 28 minutes against Creighton on Jan. 11, the Friars were defeated 72-63. Providence led by as many as 11 points midway through the third quarter and maintained a five-point cushion heading into the fourth (52-47). The Bluejays rallied in the final frame to take a 61-58 lead with 2:45 to play. It was Creighton's first lead of the game since the 4:01 mark of the second quarter (30-29). The Bluejays out-scored the Friars 25-11 overall in the fourth quarter to take the win. Kaela Webb and Earlette Scott each scored 14 points for Providence, while Creighton got an 18-point effort from Jaylyn Agnew.

BASKERVILLE'S CAREER-DAY NOT ENOUGH FOR FRIARS TO PASS GOLDEN EAGLES... Mary Baskerville scored a career-high 24 points on 10-14 shooting from the field and added eight rebounds against Marquette on Jan. 5. Classmate Kaela Webb chipped in 10 points, but it was not enough as the Friars fell to the Golden Eagles, 60-50, at Alumni Hall. Baskerville recorded back-to-back 20+ points games last weekend against DePaul (20) and Marquette (24), and now owns four 20-point games in her career. The Golden Eagles dominated the glass (43-24), including 12 offensive rebounds. Providence entered the break with a narrow 27-26 lead but was outscored 34-23 in the second half.

OFFENSIVE DROUGHT TO BEGIN THIRD ALLOWS NO. 16/17 DE PAUL TO DISTANCE ITSELF... A six minute scoring drought by the Friars to begin the third quarter allowed DePaul to start the frame with a 12-0 run, increasing a six point half time lead to an 18-point advantage on the scoreboard (49-31). The Friars chipped away in the fourth quarter to get within 10 (72-62) with 3:10 to play, but a quick 8-0 run by the Blue Demons put the game out of reach and DePaul earned an 80-67 victory. Mary Baskerville recorded 20 points for her third-career 20+ point game. She shot 8-14 from the field and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Sonya Morris scored a game-high 21 points for DePaul, while Dee Bekelja came off the bench to add 20 points.

GEORGETOWN THROWS A KNOCK-OUT PUNCH IN THE FOURTH QUARTER TO HAND FRIARS SECOND LOSS OF BIG EAST SEASON... The Providence College women's basketball team fell to Georgetown, 62-53, on Dec. 31 in Washington, D.C. The Hoyas out-scored the Friars 26-16 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory, dropping Providence to 0-2 BIG EAST in conference play. Mary Baskerville notched her third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kaela Webb netted 12 points for Providence.

FOURTH QUARTER COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AT VILLANOVA IN BIG EAST OPENER... The Friars fell to Villanova, 51-49, in their BIG EAST opener on Dec. 29 at Finneran Pavilion. Providence struggled to score in the first quarter and found itself trailing, 18-8, after the opening 10 minutes of play. The Wildcats led by as many as 16 points early in the second quarter, and went into the locker room at halftime with a 33-22 advantage. The Friars out-scored the Wildcats 27-18 in the second half, including a 20-10 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, but the comeback came up short in a two point loss to start league play. The Friars entered the game ranked first in the BIG EAST and ninth in the nation in three-point percentage (.395, 83-210), but hit just 3-12 attempts against Villanova.

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).

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.

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 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 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 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.

WHAT'S NEXT... The Friars will begin the second half of the BIG EAST schedule on the road against Marquette and DePaul. Providence will face the Golden Eagles on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wis. at 8:00 p.m. (ET). The Friars take on No. 11/12 DePaul on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. at 2:00 p.m. (ET).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mary Baskerville

Alyssa Geary

Olivia Orlando

Earlette Scott

Kyra Spiwak

Kaela Webb

Providence College Athletics