Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Butler

FRIARS MAKE MULTIPLE SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE LOCKING IN BUTLER... Providence College made multiple schedule adjustments before settling in with a BIG EAST regular-season game against Butler this week. The Friars were originally scheduled to play Georgetown [Hoyas paused], and then added Creighton [Bluejays paused] to the schedule - but both games were called off due to COVID-related protocols. The third time seems to be the charm for Providence as they were able to lock in Butler for Jan. 7 at 1:00 p.m. in Providence, R.I.

WATCH LIVE ON THE BIG EAST DIGITAL NETWORK / FLOHOOPS... The Providence vs. Butler game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network / FloHoops. The BIG EAST Conference reached a one-year agreement with FloHoops to stream its women's basketball games during the 2020-21 season as part of the BIG EAST Digital Network.

FRIARS AND BULLDOGS ALL-TIME... Providence and Butler have met 16 times during the history of the two programs. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 11-5. The Friars have earned victories in three of the last five meetings, including a 73-52 victory earlier this season on Dec. 5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

COMPETITIVE SERIES... Eleven of the 16 games between Providence and Butler have been decided by 10 points or less, including 10 games decided by single digits.

BY THE NUMBERS... Prior to this season's 21 point victory by the Friars, the previous five games between Providence and Butler have been decided by a single-digit margin, including three games in overtime.

OVERTIME... The Friars are 2-1 all-time vs. Butler in overtime games. Butler defeated Providence, 73-67, in overtime on March 3, 2018 in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round. The Friars swept the 2018-19 season series. On Jan. 18, 2019, the Friars claimed a 74-68 win in triple-overtime at Alumni Hall. On Feb. 17, 2019, Providence took a 66-63 win in overtime at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

TRIPLE OVERTIME... Providence and Butler competed in just the fourth triple-overtime game in BIG EAST women's basketball history on Jan. 18, 2019 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. The Friars claimed a 74-68 victory on that day.

THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SEASON SERIES... The Friars defeated the Bulldogs, 73-52, on Dec. 5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. It marked Providence's largest margin of victory vs. the Bulldogs during the all-time series (+21). Senior Kyra Spiwak netted a career-high 28 points on 10-17 shooting, including an 8-12 performance from beyond the arc. Mary Baskerville recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards.

SOLID START ON OFFENSE PAVED THE WAY... In the first meeting against Butler, the Friars got out to a solid start to take a 49-24 lead into halftime. It marked the Friars highest first half scoring total of the season. Providence's 32 points in the second quarter marked a season-high for a the Friars in scoring for a single quarter through 10 games.

PIVOTAL THIRD QUARTER PLAYS BIG ROLE IN OUTCOME OF FRIARS' MOST RECENT GAME... Providence led Seton Hall by as many as 12 late in the second quarter and the Friars took a 41-32 lead into halftime. Providence shot a blistering 62-percent from the floor in the opening half (18-29), while Seton Hall converted 32-percent of its shots (13-32). The third quarter proved pivotal as Seton Hall outscored the Friars 21-8, including a 16-0 run that game the Pirates a six-point advantage. Mary Baskerville led the Friars with a double-double on 24 points and 10 boards. Her 24 points tied a career high, which she set last season against Marquette (Jan. 5, 2020).

XAVIER PULLS AWAY IN FOURTH QUARTER TO DEFEAT PROVIDENCE... Chanell Williams opened the fourth quarter with a steal and a lay-up to tie the score, 41-41, but the Musketeers responded with an 8-0 run fueled by their first two three-point buckets of the game. Xavier was 0-10 from beyond the arc in the first three quarters of play, but hit its first three attempts of the final frame and hit 3-4 overall in the decisive quarter. The Musketeers outscored the Friars 23-11 in the final 10 minutes to take a 64-54 victory. Kyra Spiwak netted a game-high 19 points to pace the Friars. Sarah Leyendecker recorded a double-double for Xavier on 18 points and 11 rebounds.

FRIARS WELCOME FAMILIES INTO ALUMNI HALL VIRTUALLY FOR PREGAME WARM-UPS... Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Providence College is among the majority of institutions across the county that are not allowing fans/families to attend games in person. Prior to the Friars' last home game vs. St. John's on Dec. 19, the program invited families "into Alumni Hall" virtually via Zoom, and will continue the trend for the remainder of their regular-season home games. From the 75 minute mark of the warm-up clock to the 45 minute mark, families are able to wish the team luck on a big screen television located nearest the Friars' hoop for warm-ups. When players are not engaged in a warm-up activity in preparation for the game, they are able to communicate with the family members who join the zoom.

GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START... The Friars are 4-1 this season when leading at halftime. On the flip side, Providence has compiled an 0-5 record in games it is trailing at halftime. The Friars' only loss when leading at halftime came against Seton Hall in their most recent game. Providence held a 41-32 lead at the break, but fell to the Pirates, 77-71.

GAMES IN THE 70s... Providence is 3-1 this season when scoring 70+ points. The Friars' only blemish came in a loss to Seton Hall on Jan. 3 (77-71).

SHOOTING THE ROCK... Providence has shot a higher percentage from the field than its opponents in six of its nine games and have posted a 4-2 record in those contests. The Friars are a perfect 4-0 on the year when shooting 45-percent or better.

KYRA SPIWAK FILLS THE STAT SHEET IN BIG EAST PLAY... Kyra Spiwak is averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game in BIG EAST Conference play. She is the only Friar to score in double figures in each of the five conference games, including a career-high 28 points against Butler. She recently netted 14 points against Seton Hall in Providence's most recent game. In BIG EAST play, she is shooting 45.8-percent from the field (27-59), including 41.7-percent from three-point territory (15-36). In 10 games overall, Spiwak ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game.

BASKERVILLE AND WILLIAMS AMONG NCAA DIVISION I ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS... Mary Baskerville ranks 25th among NCAA Division I active career leaders in field-goal percentage (.553). Chanell Williams is ranked 24th among NCAA Division I active career leaders in games played, with 107.

WILLIAMS PLAYING LIKE A VETERAN LEADER... Through 10 games this season, Williams leads the Friars in steals (1.4 spg), ranks third in assists (2.7 apg), second in assist/turnover ratio (+1.35) and fourth on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg). She's shooting 44-percent from the field overall (37-84), including 56.5-percent from three-point territory (13-23). She has reached double figures in the scoring column five times, including each of the last three games. Williams recorded a season-best 20 points against St. John's on Dec. 19. It marked just the third 20-point game of her career.

ADDING ANOTHER WEAPON TO HER ARSENAL... Not known for her three-point shooting ability, Chanell Williams has shown marked improvement in that area of her game in 2020-21. Through 10 games, she has hit 13-23 attempts from beyond the arc (.565). Prior to this season, Williams converted just 8-41 three-point attempts (.195).

DOUBLE-TROUBLE... Mary Baskerville recorded her third double-double of the season in the Friars' most recent game against Seton Hall on 24 points and 10 rebounds. It marked the 15th double-double of her career.

AVERAGING JUST SHY OF A DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN BIG EAST PLAY... In four BIG EAST Conference games, Mary Baskerville is nearly averaging a double-double for Providence with 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Baskerville has posted a double-double in three of the four BIG EAST games she has played this season. She did not play in the Xavier game on Dec. 31. For the season, Baskerville leads the Friars in scoring (14.2 ppg), rebounding (7.3 rpg), blocked shots (1.7 bpg) and steals (1.1 spg).

BASKERVILLE ECLIPSES 500 CAREER REBOUNDS... Mary Baskerville hauled in 11 rebounds on Dec. 5 against Butler and eclipsed the 500-rebound milestone for her career. She currently owns 533 career boards. Through nine games this season, Baskerville leads the Friars in rebounding with 7.3 boards per contest, which is in line with her career average of 7.4 rebounds per game (72 games).

ALYSSA GEARY PUTTING UP SOLID NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD... Alyssa Geary currently ranks third on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.6 rpg), second in blocks (1.4 bpg) and assists (3.0 apg). She scored a career-high 17 points in the season-opener against Quinnipiac and has scored 8+ points in eight of 10 contests, including six double-digit scoring games. In BIG EAST action, Geary has reached double figures in the scoring column during each of the last three games and ranks third among her teammates in scoring average vs. league opponents (10.6 ppg).

IN THE SHADOWS... While Chanell Williams got credit for a game-high 20 points and Mary Baskerville recorded a double-double, Alyssa Geary was all over the stat sheet against St. John's. She helped guide the Friars to victory with 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and a team-high four assists. She shot 6-12 from the field, including 2-4 from the three-point arc. She played the second-most minutes of any Friar in that game (32), and was +26 in the plus/minus efficiency rating.

OLIVIA ORLANDO MAKES AN IMPACT IN HER RETURN... In the Friars' season opener against Quinnipiac, Olivia Orlando returned to the court for the first time since Jan. 17 - when she sustained a season-ending injury against St. John's and missed Providence's final 14 games of the 2019-20 campaign. She has started all 10 games for Providence this season and leads the team in assists (3.1 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (+1.82). She also ranks second in rebounding (6.2 rpg), and has contributed 3.8 points and 1.2 steals per game. She recently scored a season-high eight points against Seton Hall (Jan 3) and added six rebounds, three assists and one steal.

ORLANDO DISHES CAREER-HIGH EIGHT ASSISTS AT BUTLER... Olivia Orlando leads the Friars in assists this season (3.1 apg). On Dec. 5, she registered a career-high eight assists in a win over Butler. During her career, Orlando has recorded 5+ assists in nine games, including three of 10 games this season.

TAKING CHARGE... Senior forward Andrea Cooper leads the Friars in a stat that largely goes unnoticed - taking charges. Through 10 games, Cooper has taken a team-best 12 charges.

20-POINT GAMES... Three Friars have scored 20-or-more points in a game this season. Mary Baskerville leads the way, having eclipsed the 20-point mark, twice. She scored 20 points against Boston College on Dec. 2 and a career-high 24 points against Seton Hall on Jan. 3. She owns six 20-point games in her career. Kyra Spiwak became the second Friar to reach the 20-point plateau this season, scoring a career-high 28 points against Butler. It marked the second 20-point game of her career, and first 20-point game in BIG EAST Conference action. Chanell Williams scored a season-best 20 points against St. John's, marking the third 20-point game of her career.

VETERAN PRESENCE... Seven of the 10 players on the Friars' 2020-21 roster are upperclassmen, including four seniors and three juniors. Each of those upperclassmen have some degree of experience in the starting line-up, with five of the seven starting 15 games or more a year ago.

FRIARS HANDLE ST. JOHN'S IN BIG EAST ACTION... In the Friars defeated St. John's, 76-53, on Dec. 19 in Providence, R.I. St. John's managed a one-point lead on two occasions in the first quarter, but it was all Providence after that. The Friars took a 34-24 advantage into halftime and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Four Friars reached double figures in the scoring column led by Chanell Williams' 20 points. Providence shot 46.2-percent from the field (30-65), while St. John's shot 39.6-percent (19-48). The Friars also held a 37-28 advantage in rebounding. Providence's 37 boards marked a season high as a team, matching its total of 37 in the season opener vs. Quinnipiac.

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY IN BIG EAST PLAY SINCE 1996... The Friars' 23-point win over St. John's on Dec. 19 (76-53) is the largest margin of victory for Providence during BIG EAST play since defeating Pittsburgh by 27 (90-63) on Feb. 21, 1996.

CHANELL WILLIAMS NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL AFTER 20-POINT OUTING VS. ST. JOHN'S... Chanell Williams was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Dec. 21. Williams led all scorers with a season-high 20 points to help Providence defeat St. John's, 76-53, on Dec. 19 in Providence, R.I. She shot 7-12 from the field, including 4-6 from beyond the three-point arc. She also dished three assists and collected two rebounds and two steals. She did not commit a turnover during her 28 minutes on the floor.

KYRA SPIWAK EARNS BIG EAST WEEKLY RECOGNITION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER CAREER... Senior guard Kyra Spiwak was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 7. It marked the first weekly league honor of Spiwak's career with the Friars. Spiwak averaged 14.3 points per game in three contests last week, including 19.0 points per game in BIG EAST Conference play. She netted 10 points in the Friars' conference opener at Marquette (Dec. 4) and followed with a career-high 28 points at Butler the next day. Twenty-three of her 28 points against the Bulldogs came during the first half in just 17 minutes of action. For the game, Spiwak shot 10-17 from the field, including 8-12 from three-point territory.

MARY BASKERVILLE NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Junior forward Mary Baskerville was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 30. She guided the Friars to a 2-1 record to open the season, averaging 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. She shot an impressive .649 from the field, hitting 24-37 attempts from the floor. In the season opener at Quinnipiac, Baskerville recorded 15 points, a season-high nine rebounds and two assists in just 16 minutes of action. Over the weekend, she posted 16 points and seven boards against Rhode Island and a season-high 18 points and five rebounds against Bryant. Baskerville recorded a career-best five blocked shots against the Bulldogs.

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2019-20 SEASON... Providence completed the 2019-20 season with a 13-19 overall record and a 3-15 mark in the BIG EAST Conference (eighth place).

PROVIDENCE WINS A BIG EAST TOURNAMENT GAME IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1994 AND 1995... The Friars won a BIG EAST Tournament game in each of the last two seasons. In 2019, Providence defeated Xavier, 70-62, in the First Round. This year, the Friars posted a 49-46 win over Georgetown in the First Round. It marks the first time since 1994 and 1995 that the Friars have won a game in the BIG EAST Tournament in back-to-back seasons.

BASKERVILLE RECORDS 50+ BLOCKS IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS... Mary Baskerville is the first player in program history to record 50+ blocked shots in back-to-back seasons. She finished the 2019-20 campaign with 51 rejections. In 2018-19, she recorded a program record for a freshman with 53 blocked shots. This season, Baskerville leads the Friars with 14 blocked shots in eight games (1.8 bpg).

FRIARS TWO YEARS REMOVED FROM FIRST POST-SEASON APPEARANCE SINCE 2010... The Friars' 2019 WNIT selection marked the program's 15th post-season appearance overall and first since 2010. Last season, NCAA and WNIT Championships were canceled to the Covid-19 pandemic. 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)

WHAT'S NEXT... The Friars are scheduled to face Connecticut on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be played at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. and will be televised on SNY.

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Players Mentioned

Mary Baskerville

Andrea Cooper

Alyssa Geary

Olivia Orlando

Kyra Spiwak

Chanell Williams

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