Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Creighton

PROVIDENCE HEADS TO OMAHA TO TAKE ON CREIGHTON.. The Friars hit the road to take on BIG EAST foe Creighton at the D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 12:00 p.m. (ET).

HOW TO WATCH... Saturday's game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

FRIARS ALL-TIME AGAINST THE BLUEJAYS... Creighton leads the all-time series against the Friars, 12-2. Providence stands at 1-5 all-time at the D.J. Sokol Arena. The lone road victory for the Friars, a 77-63 win, came last season on Jan. 26, 2019.

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 QUARTER 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.

FRIARS HAVE DROPPED SIX OF LAST SEVEN GAMES... Providence has lost six of its last seven games, including three by a single-digit margin. During the stretch, the Friars have posted an 0-4 mark in BIG EAST play. The Friars will look to get back on track vs. Creighton on Saturday in their 13th road game of the season.

BLOCK PARTY... Mary Baskerville and Alyssa Geary stand atop of the BIG EAST, as they have each recorded 23 blocked shots. In 13 games played, Baskerville is first in the conference in block shots per game (1.8) and Geary, who has played all 16 games this season, checks in at fifth (1.4).

ROAD WARRIORS... The Friars have played 13 of their first 16 games on the road. The Friars are 5-4 in true road games and 2-1 on a neutral court to post a combined 7-5 mark away from home. Providence is 2-2 this season at Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I.

FRIARS ENTER WEEKEND RANKED 11TH IN THE NATION IN THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE... The Friars enter the weekend against Creighton leading the BIG EAST and ranked 11th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.378), having hit 105-278 attempts from beyond the arc. The Friars shot 30-percent from three in their match-up against Marquette on Jan. 5 (3-10). It marked the fifth time in the last six games that the team shot at or below 30-percent from the arc.

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 five of the last six games. Against Ball State (3-15), Loyola Marymount (3-18) and Villanova (3-12), Providence combined to shoot 9-45 from three (.200). The Friars got back on track with a 10-24 performance from three-point territory (.417) against Georgetown (Dec. 31), before dropping down to 27.3-percent shooting against DePaul on Jan. 3 (6-22) and 30-percent (3-10) against Marquette.

THREE-POINT THREATS... Leading the charge from the three-point line are Kaela Webb and Kyra Spiwak. The duo have combined to hit 68 of the Friars' 105 three-pointers on the season. Webb enters the weekend ranked second in the BIG EAST and 17th in the nation in three-point field goals made (43). She also is tied for third in the BIG EAST and 50th in the nation in three-point field goals made per game (2.7). Spiwak is shooting 39.7-percent from the arc (25-63).

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 nine games, Scott has hit 12-26 three-point attempts (.461). She hit a season-best 4-4 attempts from deep during the Friars' win over Pac-12 foe Utah on Dec. 16. For the season, Scott is shooting 41.9-percent from beyond the arc (13-31).

DEFENSE... The Friars enter the weekend ranked first in the BIG EAST and 37th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 35.5-percent shooting (329-926). Additionally, Providence leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense and ranks 58th among NCAA Division I programs in that category (58.2 ppg).

KYRA SPIWAK STEPPING UP IN JUNIOR SEASON... In her first two seasons, junior Kyra Spiwak played 14 minutes per game off the bench as a reserve and averaged 2.2 points per contest. Through the 16 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 third on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and is shooting an impressive 39.7-percent from three-point territory (25-63). 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 16 games, seven different players have led the team in rebounding. Mary Baskerville has led the Friars on the boards nine times, while Orlando has been the leading rebounder in four games.

LIMITED MINUTES --> BIG IMPACT... Mary Baskerville has played 13 of the Friars' 16 games this season and is averaging 20.1 minutes per game. She has played 20+ minutes in just six games overall, 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 58.5-percent from the floor (72-123) and has hit double figures in the scoring column 10times, including two 20-point games. She also leads Providence with three double-doubles and four double-digit rebounding games. The unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection leads the team in scoring (14.2 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg) and blocked shots (1.8 bpg).

UTILITY PLAYER... Junior Olivia Orlando averages a modest 3.6 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 (5.8 rpg) and steals (1.0spg) and leads the team in assists (2.8 apg). Her 57 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 47.4-percent from the field (27-57).

MARY BASKERVILLE RANKED IN TOP-5 AMONG BIG EAST PLAYERS IN SIX STATISTICAL CATEGORIES... Mary Baskerville is ranked inside the top-five among BIG EAST players in six statistical categories heading into Saturday's game against Creighton. She is first in blocked shots (23) and blocked shots per game (1.8), second in field-goal percentage (.585) and defensive rebounds per game (6.2), third in rebounding (8.4) and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.2). Baskerville also is a proven scorer in the league, as she leads the Friars and ranks 11th in the BIG EAST with 14.2 points per game.

SHOOTING LIGHTS OUT... Mary Baskerville is shooting 58.5-percent from the field this season through the 13 games she has played, having hit 72-123 attempts from the floor. During BIG EAST play, her percentage has inflated to a blistering 63.6-percent from the field in four league games (28-44).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 11.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 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. Yale recently defeated North Carolina on the road and are currently 10-3.

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.

WHAT'S NEXT... The Friars will stay on the road to face St. John's and Seton Hall. The Friars take on the Red Storm on Friday, Jan. 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Queens, N.Y., and will conclude the weekend against the Pirates on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. in South Orange, N.J.

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Players Mentioned

Mary Baskerville

Alyssa Geary

Olivia Orlando

Earlette Scott

Kyra Spiwak

Kaela Webb

Providence College Athletics