Providence College Athletics
Providence College
Marquette
Players Mentioned
Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Marquette
3/5/2021 8:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Friars take on the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals on March 6 at 6:00 p.m. on FS2.
FRIARS SET TO FACE NO. 2 SEED MARQUETTE IN BIG EAST TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS... The No. 7 seed Providence Friars will face the No. 2 seed Marquette in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 6 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 p.m. and the game will be nationally-televised on FS2.
FRIARS DEFEAT NO. 10 SEED BUTLER IN FIRST ROUND... Providence rallied in the second half to defeat No. 10 seed Butler, 63-61, in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round on March 5. Providence trailed 32-25 at halftime and went on to outscore the Bulldogs 38-29 in the second half to claim the victory. It marked the Friars first win of the 2020-21 season when trailing at halftime. Alyssa Geary paced the Friars with 19 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes of action. Kyra Spiwak added 11 points, including a 6-6 performance from free-throw line. Mary Baskerville played a key role in the second half, after sitting most of the first half in foul trouble. She scored all 10 of her points in the second half, including five points in the last two minutes of regulation. She also contributed six board, one assist and one blocked shot. Okaka Adika recorded a double-double for Butler with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
PROVIDENCE WINS A BIG EAST TOURNAMENT GAME IN THREE-STRAIGHT SEASONS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1993, 1994 AND 1995... The Friars have won a BIG EAST Tournament game in each of the last three seasons, including the 2021 First Round victory over Butler on March 5 (63-61). It marks the first time the Friars have won a BIG EAST Tournament game in three-straight years since 1993-1995. In 2019, Providence defeated Xavier, 70-62, in the First Round. In 2020, the Friars posted a 49-46 win over Georgetown in the First Round.Â
FRIARS EARN SEVENTH SEED FOR SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS... The Friars have claimed the No. 7 seed for the second time in the last three years, marking the highest BIG EAST Tournament seed for Providence since 1996. That year, Providence entered postseason play as a No. 2 seed.
FRIARS IMPROVE TO 5-2 ALL-TIME AS A NO. 7 SEED... The Friars have claimed the No. 7 seed for just the third time in BIG EAST Tournament history. The Friars are 5-2 all-time as the seventh-seed. Providence was the No. 7 seed in 1993 and advanced to the BIG EAST Championship game. Providence entered the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 7 seed in 2019 and advanced to the Quarterfinal Round. This season, Providence earned a First Round victory over Butler (63-61) to advance to the Quarters.
1993 BIG EAST Tournament as No. 7 seed:
#7 Providence (81) def. #10 Boston College (71) - First Round
#7 Providence (82) def. #2 Georgetown (81) - Quarterfinals
#7 Providence (87) def. #3 Connecticut (73) - Semifinals
#1 Miami (77) def. #7 Providence (56) - Championship Game
2019 BIG EAST Tournament as No. 7 seed:
#7 Providence (70) def. #10 Xavier (62) - First Round
#2 DePaul (85) def. #10 Providence (60) - Quarterfinals
2021 BIG EAST Tournament as No. 7 seed:
#7 Providence (63) def. #10 Butler (61) - First Round
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE... A No. 7 seed has advanced to the BIG EAST Championship game four times since the tournament began in 1983, including one appearance by the Friars in 1993. Most recently, Creighton advanced to the BIG EAST Championship game as a No. 7 seed in 2016.
NO. 7 SEEDS ALL-TIME AT THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT... The No. 7 seed has compiled a 38-38 record all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament, including a 9-7 mark since realignment (2013-14). Â
FRIARS ALL-TIME IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT... When Providence tips-off against Marquette on March 6 in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals, it will mark the program's 55th BIG EAST Tournament game overall. The Friars are 22-32 (.408) all-time in the BIG EAST Tournament.
THE ONE AND ONLY... Providence College captured its lone BIG EAST Tournament title in 1990. The Friars, who were the No. 2 seed, defeated top-seeded Connecticut, 82-61, at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.
RUNNER-UP... Providence has advanced to the Championship Game six times. In addition to winning the BIG EAST title in 1990, the Friars finished as the BIG EAST Tournament runner-up in 1983, 1986, 1989, 1991 and 1992.
FRIARS SEEKING FIRST SEMIFINAL APPEARANCE SINCE 1994... Providence is seeking its first BIG EAST Semifinal appearance since 1994 when it takes the court against Marquette in the Quarterfinals. During the 1994 campaign, the Friars advanced to the semifinals as a No. 4 seed, and fell to top-seeded Connecticut 92-56 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.
PROVIDENCE VS. MARQUETTE ALL-TIME... Providence and Marquette have met 25 times during the history of the two programs. The Golden Eagles lead the series, 20-5, and have earned victories in 13 of the last 14 meetings, including each of the last eight games.
LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED MARQUETTE... The last time Providence College defeated Marquette dates back to Jan. 27, 2017. On that day, the Friars earned a 66-64 victory at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I.
PROVIDENCE AND MARQUETTE ALL-TIME IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT... Providence and Marquette will meet for just the second time in the BIG EAST Tournament when they tip-off in the Quarterfinals on March 6. In the only meeting to this point, the No. 8 seed Golden Eagles defeated the No. 9 seed Friars, 78-75, on March 7, 2015 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.
MARQUETTE SWEEPS SEASON SERIES WITH PROVIDENCE... The Friars are 0-2 against Marquette this season, having lost the 2020-21 BIG EAST season-opener to the Golden Eagles, 89-40, on Dec. 4 in Milwaukee, Wis., and then dropping a 73-52 decision to Marquette at Alumni Hall on Feb. 13.
IMPACT PLAYERS DURING THE SEASON SERIES VS. MARQUETTE... Kyra Spiwak paced the Friars' offense in two meetings against Marquette this season, averaging 12.5 points per game. Mary Baskerville is the only other Friars to have averaged in double figures against the Golden Eagles with 10.5 points per game. She also added 3.5 steals, 2.0 assists and 3.5 boards per game against Marquette.
DOUBLE-TROUBLE... Mary Baskerville recorded her team-best fifth double-double of the season against Villanova on Feb. 24, with 19 points and 12 rebounds. All five of her double-doubles this season have come during BIG EAST play. Overall, she owns 17 double-doubles in her career. During the Villanova game, she also added four blocked shots, three steals and one assist.
FRIARS GET FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON WHEN TRAILING AT HALFTIME... The Friars are 6-1 this season when leading at halftime. On the flip side, Providence has compiled an 1-12 record in games it is trailing at halftime. The lone victory when trailing at the half came in the Friars BIG EAST First-Round victory over Butler on March 5 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Providence trailed 32-25 at the half against Butler and rallied to win, 63-61.
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 12 of its 20 games and have posted a 7-5 record in those contests. The Friars also are 5-1 on the year when shooting 45-percent or better.
DEFENSE... The Friars finished the regular-season schedule ranked fourth among BIG EAST Conference teams in scoring defense (63.7 ppg) and fourth in field goal percentage defense (.401). Providence has held 11 of its 20 opponents below 40-percent from the field this season, including Butler in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round (.306, 19-62).Â
BASKERVILLE RANKS FIFTH IN THE BIG EAST AND 22ND IN THE NATION IN FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE... Mary Baskerville leads the Friars in field-goal percentage (.547, 111-203) through the 19 games she has played. She completed the regular-season schedule ranked fifth in the BIG EAST Conference and 22nd in the nation among NCAA Division I players in field-goal percentage.Â
BLOCK PARTY... Juniors Mary Baskerville and Alyssa Geary have combined for 59 blocked shots this season, making them one of the top-shot blocking duos in the BIG EAST this season, trailing only UConn's Olivia Nelson-Ododa (40) and Aubrey Griffin (20), with 60 rejections. Baskerville ranks first in the BIG EAST in blocked shots per game (1.8 bpg) and Geary ranks sixth (1.3 bpg). Baskerville also led the BIG EAST in blocked shots last season with 51 rejections (1.8 bpg).
GEARY OWNS PROVIDENCE COLLEGE RECORD FOR BLOCKED SHOTS IN A BIG EAST TOURNAMENT GAME... Alyssa Geary set a Providence College record for blocked shots in a BIG EAST Tournament game (six) in last year's First Round match-up against Georgetown on March 6. Monika Roberts set the previous record (four) in 2001 vs. Seton Hall.
WILLIAMS MAKING AN IMPACT IN HER FINAL SEASON... Through 20 games this season, Williams is impacting every facet of the stat sheet. She's averaging 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Williams is shooting 41-percent from three-point territory (16-39). She has reached double figures in the scoring column eight times, including a season-best 20 points against St. John's on Dec. 19. It marked just the third 20-point game of her career.
WILLIAMS ADDED ANOTHER WEAPON TO HER GAME... Not known for her three-point shooting ability, Chanell Williams has shown marked improvement in that area of her game in 2020-21. She has ranked as high as second in the BIG EAST in three-point percentage, but recently fell out of the rankings due to league minimums for makes/attempts. Through 20 games, she has hit 16-39 attempts from beyond the arc (.410). Prior to this season, Williams converted just 8-41 three-point attempts (.195).Â
CLIMBING THE LADDER... Chanell Williams enters Saturday's game against Marquette with 311 career assists. She is currently ranked 13th all-time at Providence in career assists and is just the third Friar in the last decade to record 300-or-more assists during her career, joining Symone Roberts '13 (351) and Sarah Beal '17 (385).
ON THE BOARDS... Mary Baskerville leads the Friars in rebounding this season with 6.7 boards per game. In 82 career games, she has posted an average of 7.2 rebounds per game (594 total rebounds). It currently ranks as the eighth best career rebounding average in program history, and her 594 rebounds are currently rank 21st all-time at Providence College.
LONGTERM GOALS... Mary Baskerville enters Saturday's BIG EAST Quarterfinal with 911 career points, and is on pace to become the 35th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point milestone. Through 82 career games and in the midst of just her third season with the team, she has averaged 11.1 points per game during her career. She has recorded double figures for the Friars 48 times during her career, including six 20+ point games. She's coming off of a 10-point game against Butler in the BIG EAST First Round.
ALYSSA GEARY FILLS THE STAT SHEET... Alyssa Geary currently ranks second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg), third in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and assists (2.5 apg). She has reached double figures in the scoring column 14 times, including a career-best 22 points against Villanova (Feb. 3). Ten of her double-digit games have were recorded during BIG EAST regular-season play. She is the only Friar to reach double figures in the scoring column in each of the last five games, and is averaging a team-best 14.4 points during that span.
GEARY LEADS FRIARS TO FIRST ROUND WIN... Alyssa Geary's impressive season continues for the Friars as she paced her team in scoring (19 points) and rebounding (nine) in Friday's BIG EAST First Round victory over Butler (63-61). In looking ahead to the Golden Eagles, she'll need to shake off a difficult season series, having averaged just 7.0 points in two games vs. Marquette this year.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE... Senior Olivia Orlando contributes just 3.5 points per game for the Friars, but its hard to keep her off the floor given her impact on game in other areas. She averages a team-high 32.7 minutes per game for the Friars. Orlando can play every position on the floor, and ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and assists (2.5 apg) and third in steals (1.0 spg). In the First Round vs. Butler, she hauled in a team-high nine rebounds and added four points, two blocked shots and one assist.
20-POINT GAMES... Four Friars have scored 20-or-more points in a game this season. Mary Baskerville leads the way, having eclipsed the 20-point mark, twice, 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. Alyssa Geary is the most recent Friar to reach the 20-point mark, with a career-best 22 against Villanova on Feb. 3. It marked the first 20-point game of her career.
SOPHIA WIDMEYER STEPPED UP FOR SHORT-HANDED FRIARS AT CREIGHTON... Junior Sophia Widmeyer has averaged 9.4 minutes off the bench this season in a reserve role, but she answered the bell when her team needed her the most in a win over Creighton on Feb. 10. The Friars traveled just seven active players to face the Bluejays. Widmeyer was called to action, playing a season-high 32 minutes. She grabbed a career-high nine rebounds and two steals, and hit the most critical shot of the game with 4:00 minutes left in regulation to halt a four-minute Providence scoring drought and give her team a 54-44 lead. Her shot sparked a 7-0 run and put the game away.
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.Â
ALYSSA GEARY AND MARY BASKERVILLE COMBINE FOR 29 POINTS IN 67-55 LOSS AT SETON HALL... Alyssa Geary (17) and Mary Baskerville (12) accounted for 29 points in a loss to Seton Hall on Feb. 20. Geary shot 6-10 from the field, including 2-4 from three-point territory, and matched her season high with nine rebounds. Baskerville shot 4-9 from the floor and grabbed six boards.
FRIARS SUFFER 75-49 LOSS TO DE PAUL IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE... Alyssa Geary registered 12 points, four rebounds, three steals, three assists and two blocks for Providence in a 75-49 loss to DePaul in the Friars' season finale. The Blue Demons entered the game on a two-game losing streak, hampered by poor shooting from beyond the arc, but came alive against Providence to hit 16-29 three-point attempts in Alumni Hall. Meanwhile, Providence shot just 2-11 from beyond the arc (.112) and just 36.8-percent overall (21-57). Lexi Held tallied a team-high 21 points for DePaul. Mary Baskerville joined Geary with 12 points as the only two players in double figures for Providence.
FRIARS SUFFER HEARTBREAKING LOSS TO VILLANOVA IN OVERTIME IN FINAL WEEKEND OF REGULAR-SEASON... Providence led by as many as nine (46-37) with 6:15 remaining in regulation and still maintained a 54-49 advantage with 35-seconds on the clock. Bella Runyan hit a three on the Wildcats' next possession to cut the deficit to two (54-52). Chanell Williams was fouled with 13-seconds left and had an opportunity to make it a two possession game with a four-point lead, but missed the first of two free throws (55-52). The BIG EAST's leading scorer, Maddy Siegrist, followed with a deep three-pointer to tie the game (55-55) with 6.1 seconds left, but the Friars were called for a five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds play after a timeout and the game went to overtime. Villanova outscored Providence 8-3 in the extra session to take a 63-58 win. Siegrist tallied 24 points for the Wildcats, while Mary Baskerville notched a double-double on 19 points and 12 boards.
SHORT-HANDED FRIARS TAKE DOWN CREIGHTON ON THE ROAD... Providence College traveled to Omaha, Neb. with seven active players on Feb. 10 and left DJ Sokol Arena with a 60-48 victory. It marked just the second win all-time for the Friars on Creighton's home court. Providence led for 36:30 of the game, including a 14-point margin with 6:26 left in the third quarter. The Bluejays inched within 51-44 as Providence went scoreless for over four minutes of action. Sophia Widmeyer halted the run with a three-point bucket on the left wing to push the Friars' lead back to double digits (54-44), sparking a 7-0 run en route to a decisive win (60-48). Chanell Williams led all scorers with 17 points and added four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Mary Baskerville registered her fourth double-double of the season on 14 points and 10 boards.
CHANELL WILLIAMS NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON... Senior guard Chanell Williams was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 11. It marked her second appearance on the league's weekly honor roll this season, having previously been recognized on Dec. 21. In a 1-1 week for the Friars, Williams averaged 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game. She shot a combined 52.6-percent from the field, converting 10 of her 19 field goal attempts. She opened the week with 16 points and a career-high eight rebounds in a 62-50 victory over Butler on Jan. 7. Williams knocked down 7-12 shots from the field (.583), including 1-2 from beyond the three-point line. She also added three assists and two steals. On Jan. 9, Williams recorded a team-best four assists and two steals to go along with six points in the Friars' match-up against No. 3 Connecticut.
MARY BASKERVILLE NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON... Junior forward Mary Baskerville was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Feb. 15. It marks the second time this season she has been added to the league's honor roll. In a 1-1 week for the Friars, Baskerville averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 3.0 blocked shots per game. She shot a combined 60-percent from the field (15-25) and converted all three of her free-throw attempts. In the Friars' victory at Creighton, she posted her fourth double-double of the season on 14 points and 10 boards. She also added four blocked shots, three steals and one assist. Baskerville closed the week with 19 points against Marquette on 9-13 shooting from the field (.692). She also contributed two rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a career-high six steals. Baskerville was previously named to the honor roll on Nov. 30.
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.
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).
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 winner of Saturday's BIG EAST Quarterfinal between Providence and Marquette will advance to the Semifinals on Sunday, March 7 to play the winner of No. 3 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Creighton.
