Providence College Athletics
Providence College
Maine
Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Maine
11/12/2021 3:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Friars travel to Orono to take on the Black Bears at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13
FRIARS HIT THE ROAD TO FACE MAINE IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY... The Providence College women's basketball team will travel to Orono, Maine to face the University of Maine Black Bears on Saturday, Nov. 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. An international feed is available via AmericaEast.tv
PROVIDENCE VS. MAINE ALL-TIME... Providence and Maine have played seven times during the history of the two women's basketball programs. The Friars lead the all-time series, 6-1, with the first six meetings occurring before between 1978 and 1988. The programs renewed the series in 2020-21 and Maine earned its first victory (62-48) in Providence, R.I.
THE MOST RECENT MEETING... After a closely contested first quarter, Maine used a 14-4 scoring advantage in the second quarter to take control of the game and head to the locker room at halftime with a 33-20. The Black Bears led by as many as 21 in the third quarter, and the Friars answered with an 11-0 run to get within 10, but it was as close as Providence could get down the stretch. Chanell Williams led the Friars with eight points and seven rebounds. Mary Baskerville played just 11 minutes in the game and finished with six points. It marked just the second time in her career that she was held without a rebound. Blanca Millan recorded 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Black Bears and Abbe Laurence chipped in 10 points and nine boards.
LAST TIME THE FRIARS AND BLACK BEARS MET IN ORONO... Providence and Maine last met in Orono on Dec. 29, 1988 as part of the Bath Iron Works Classic. The Friars earned a 56-45 victory on that day.
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS... Maine opened the season just outside of the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll, receiving 54 votes. The Black Bears were picked to finish second in the America East Preseason Poll, a year after reaching the America East title game for the sixth-straight season. Maine returns two starters and nine letterwinners. The team will be led by America East Preseason All-Conference selection Anne Simon and 2021 America East All-Conference Second Team honoree Maeve Carroll.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY... Kennebunk, Maine native Emily Archibald is heading back to her home state as a freshman on the Providence College women's basketball team. Archibald had a storied career at Kennebunk High School, where she was a two-time Maine Gatorade Player of the Year (2020, 2021) and Miss Maine Basketball (2021). The three time All-State selection averaged 24.6 points, 20.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.5 steals and 3.7 blocked shots per game at Kennebunk during her senior campaign. In her first game with the Friars, she cracked the starting line-up and played 36 minutes. She recorded 10 points on 4-9 shooting and added five rebounds and two assists.
HOME-SWEET-HOME... The Friars will play 13 of their first 17 games at home in Alumni Hall/Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I. Through the first two months of the season, the Friars leave the city of Providence just twice. On Nov. 13, the Friars travel to Orono, Maine to face the Black Bears. On Dec. 31, Providence will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on Xavier (and remain on the road to face Butler on Jan. 2). Providence's only other road game during the months of November and December will be played at Brown University, which is located in Providence, R.I.
FRIARS DROP SEASON OPENER TO YALE IN OVERTIME... The Friars dropped their season opener to Yale in overtime (63-57) on Nov. 9 in Providence, R.I. The Bulldogs used a +9 scoring advantage at the free throw line, which proved to be a critical factor in the game. Providence shot just 9-20 from the stripe (.450), while the Bulldogs shot 18-23 (.783). Janai Crooms led the Friars with 18 points in her debut with the program and also added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior Mary Baskerville contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, six blocked shots and four steals before fouling out. Freshman Emily Archibald started at forward and played 36 minutes in her collegiate debut, recording 10 points, five rebounds and two assists.
PRESEASON TUNE-UP... The Friars defeated NCAA Division II Bentley, 64-46, in an exhibition game on Nov. 4 in Providence, R.I. Four Friars reached double figures in the scoring column, led by freshman Kylee Sheppard (14 points). Fellow freshman Olivia Olsen came off the bench to record 11 points, while Mary Baskerville and Janai Crooms each contributed 10 points. Graduate transfer Andreana Wrister hauled in a team-high seven rebounds, and freshman Audrey Koch put up a solid line of eight points, four rebounds and a team-high five assists.
FRIARS SET TO MAKE THEIR RETURN TO THE DUNKIN' DONUTS CENTER... The Friars will host a game at the Dunkin' Donuts Center for the first time since 2010 when they welcome Connecticut on Sunday, Jan. 30. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m. It marks the first time Providence has played a game at the Dunkin' Donuts Center since Feb. 6, 2010 against West Virginia.
NEW LOOK FRIARS... The Friars welcome eight new faces to the program this season, including two transfers and six freshmen. Andreana Wrister is a graduate transfer, who played four seasons at Tennessee State. Janai Crooms, a native of Cranston, R.I., has played three seasons of NCAA Division I basketball in the Big Ten at Ohio State and Michigan State. Both Wrister and Crooms are guards. Four more guards will join the rotation as freshmen in Kylee Sheppard, Meghan Huerter, Nariah Scott and Audrey Koch. Olivia Olsen and Emily Archibald join the front court for their rookie seasons in the college ranks.
ROOKIE IMPACT... In the Friars' season opener against Yale on Nov. 9, freshmen Emily Archibald and Kylee Sheppard cracked the starting line-up. Three others came off the bench, including Audrey Koch, who logged 33 minutes of action. Archibald and Sheppard combined for 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. The duo shot 7-15 from the field. Â
PROVIDENCE PICKED TO FINISH EIGHTH IN BIG EAST PRESEASON COACHES' POLL... The Friars were picked to finish eighth in the 2021-22 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released at the league's annual media day at MSG in New York City. The Friars recorded 32 points in the poll and sit above Georgetown (27), Xavier (18) and Butler (17). Connecticut was a unanimous selection to win the league for a second-straight season.
MARY BASKERVILLE NAMED TO ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM AT THE CONCLUSION OF 2020-21 SEASON... Last season, Mary Baskerville led Providence College in scoring (12.7 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg), blocked shots (1.8 bpg), steals (1.4 spg) and field-goal percentage (.538, 112-208). For her efforts, she was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. It marked her first postseason honor since earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and BIG EAST All-Freshman Team accolades in 2019.Â
ALYSSA GEARY LOOKS TO PICK UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF... Senior Alyssa Geary returns for her senior year having shown steady progress in her game each of the previous three seasons. Last year, she started all 21 games ranked second among her teammates in (11.4 ppg) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and third in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and assists (2.4 apg). Geary recorded a team-best 15 double-digit scoring games, including six-straight to finish the season. She led the Friars in scoring (14.5 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg) and blocked shots (2.0 bpg) during the BIG EAST Tournament, including 19 points and nine rebounds in the Friars' First Round victory over Butler (Mar. 3).Â
CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF... The NCAA cleared Janai Crooms to play during the 2021-22 season on Nov. 4, prior to the Friars' exhibition game against Bentley. Crooms was a four-star recruit and ranked No. 36 in 2018 class by Prospect Nation coming out of St. Andrew's (Barrington, R.I.). She played two seasons at Ohio State (2018-20) before transferring to Michigan State for the 2020-21 campaign. Crooms has two years of eligibility remaining, including the current 2021-22 seasons.
CROOMS SHINES IN DEBUT WITH THE FRIARS... Cranston, R.I. native Janai Crooms made her debut with the Friars on Nov. 9 against Yale. She played the previous three seasons in the Big Ten at Ohio State and Michigan State and has two years of eligibility with the Friars. In the season opener vs. Yale, Crooms paced the Friars with 18 points, four assists and four steals, while also hauling in seven rebounds. The veteran guard hit a baseline jumper as time expired to push the game into overtime. Her impact on the court is undeniable, but she'll aim to take better care of the basketball moving forward, as she recorded 10 turnovers vs. the Bulldogs.
MARY BASKERVILLE RANKS 20th ALL-TIME AT PROVIDENCE IN CAREER REBOUNDS... Senior Mary Baskerville ranks 21st all-time in career boards at Providence with 606. She hauled in a team-best nine rebounds in the Friars' season opener against Yale (Nov. 9) and passed former Friar Mi-Khida Hankins '11 (602) in the rankings.Â
1,000-POINT MILESTONE ON THE HORIZON... Mary Baskerville has scored 926 points in 84 career games with the Friars. She is on pace to become the 35th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
FRIARS IN THE POSTSEASON... The Friars' last appeared in the postseason during the 2018-19 campaign, when their current senior class came on to the scene as freshmen. Providence's 2019 WNIT selection marked the program's 15th post-season appearance overall and first since 2010. In 2019-20, NCAA and WNIT Championships were canceled to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Friars did not qualify for postseason during the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign. 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 will begin a seven-game home stand at Alumni Hall on Nov. 17 against intra-state rival Rhode Island. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
