Providence College Athletics
Providence College
Connecticut
Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. No. 5/4 Connecticut
1/31/2023 1:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Friars and Huskies square off at Alumni Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7:00 p.m.
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FRIARS SET TO HOST CONNECTICUT AT ALUMNI HALL... The Friars will host Connecticut in BIG EAST play on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on SNY.
CLOSING STRETCH... During the month of February, the Friars will play five of their remaining eight regular-season games at Alumni Hall. Providence has posted an 8-4 record on its home court this season.
FRIARS FINISH NON-CONFERENCE PLAY 9-2... The Friars finished their non-conference slate with a 9-2 record. It marks the most victories for Providence in regular-season non-conference play since 2019-20 (9-3).
FRIARS AND HUSKIES ALL-TIME... Providence and UConn have met 64 times during the history of the two programs. The Huskies lead the all-time series, 43-21, including victories in each of the last 32 game.
LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED CONNECTICUT... The Friars last defeated UConn on March 7, 1993. On that day, Providence claimed an 87-73 victory over the Huskies to advance to the Championship Game of the BIG EAST Tournament in Providence, R.I.
MOST RECENT MEETING AT ALUMNI HALL... The Friars and Huskies last met at Alumni Hall on Jan. 30, 2022. UConn escaped with a 69-61 victory. It marked the first game decided by single digits between the two teams since the 1990-91 season. The Friars' Janai Crooms exploded for a career-high 27 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and an 8-10 performance from the foul line.
FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON SERIES IN 2022-23... The Friars and Huskies opened the 2022-23 BIG EAST Conference schedule with one another on Dec. 2 at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies cruised to a 98-53 victory. Grace Efosa paced the Friars with 11 points. Logan Cook added 10 points and eight rebounds and Olivia Olsen contributed eight points and eight boards. The Huskies got out to a 29-8 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. UConn dominated the paint, outscoring Providence 40-28. The Friars held a 12-5 scoring advantage in second-chance points as 14 of PC's 32 rebounds in the game came off the offensive glass.
GRACE EFOSA NETS GAME WINNER IN CLOSING SECONDS TO DEFEAT XAVIER; EARNS SPOT ON BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Providence College junior guard Grace Efosa scored a game-high 16 points, including the game-winning bucket with 4.4-seconds left in regulation, to lift the Friars to a 50-48 victory over Xavier on Jan. 28 at the Cintas Center. She shot 8-16 from the floor vs. the Musketeers and also recorded a game-high eight rebounds and added two steals and one assist. For her efforts, Efosa was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 30. It marked the first conference recognition of her career.
FRIARS SUFFER BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE EARLY DECEMBER... Providence recently suffered back-to-back losses to Georgetown (Jan. 21) and Creighton (Jan. 24), marking the first back-to-back losses since opening weekend of BIG EAST Conference play vs. Connecticut (Dec. 2) and Villanova (Dec. 4).Â
TRAILING AT HALFTIME... The Friars are 1-9 this season when trailing at halftime. Providence earned its first victory of the season when trailing at halftime on Jan. 4 vs. No. 25/24 Creighton. Providence trailed 46-39 at the break and went on to claim a 79-75 victory.Â
IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG START... The Friars are 12-1 this season when leading at halftime. Providence's only loss when holding a halftime lead came against URI on Nov. 14. The Friars held a 50-40 advantage at the break and fell to the Rams, 74-72.
SINGLE DIGITS... Ten of the Friars' 23 games have been decided by nine points or less and the team has posted a 6-4 record in those games. Additionally, Providence has posted a 3-1 record in games decided by five points or less.Â
DEFENSE WINS GAMES... The Friars have held 14 of their 23 opponents below 40-percent shooting from the field this season and are 12-2 in those games. PC lost for the first time when holding an opponent below 40-percent on Dec. 28 at DePaul. The Friars held the Blue Demons to 37.7-percent shooting and dropped a 78-69 decision. On Jan. 24, Providence held Creighton to 39.7-percent shooting in a 64-46 loss.
BOARD IT... The Friars have out-rebounded 17 of their 23 opponents this season and have posted an 13-4 record in those games. Providence is 0-6 on the season when it secures fewer rebounds than its opponent.
HOME-SWEET-HOME... The Friars own an 13-10 record this season, including an 8-4 mark on their home court (Alumni Hall). Providence's four home losses came at the hands of No. 25 Villanova (79-54) on Dec. 4, Seton Hall (76-60) on Jan. 8, Georgetown (61-51) on Jan. 21 and Creighton (64-46) on Jan. 24. The Friars are 5-6 on the road.
FRIARS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS IN 2022-23... The Friars are 1-2 this season vs. nationally ranked opponents and 0-2 vs. opponents receiving votes in the national polls.Â
12/2/22    #3/3 Connecticut    53-98 (L)   Storrs, Conn.
12/4/22   #25/RV Villanova   54-79 (L)   Providence, R.I.
12/18/22   RV/RV St. John's   55-63 (L)   Queens, N.Y.
1/4/23   #25/24 Creighton   79-75 (W)   Omaha, Neb.
1/24/23   -/RV Creighton   46-64 (L)   Providence, R.I.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER IN FRIARTOWN... On Jan. 4, the Providence men's and women's basketball teams knocked off nationally-ranked opponents on the same night. The men took down then-No. 4/5 Connecticut, 73-61, at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. The women defeated then-No. 25/24 Creighton at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
FRIARS EARN FIRST ROAD WIN OVER A TEAM RANKED IN THE AP POLL SINCE 1989... Providence earned its fourth road victory over a team ranked in the Associated Press Poll program history when it upset No. 25 Creighton in Omaha, Neb. (Jan. 4). It marked the first road win vs. a team ranked in the AP Poll since Dec. 29, 1989. On that day, the Friars defeated No. 25 DePaul, 106-92, during a neutral site game in Palo Alto, Calif. The Friars have two true road wins over teams ranked in the AP Poll vs. No. 17 Houston in Houston, Texas (W, 65-59 on 12/28/85) and vs. No. 15 St. John's in Queens, N.Y. (W, 66-61 on 1/28/84). In addition to the program's four road victories vs. teams ranked in the AP Poll, the Friars have posted 11 wins over teams ranked in the AP Poll at home.
GRACE EFOSA LEADS THE OFFENSE IN BIG EAST PLAY... Grace Efosa has played 22 games this season and ranks fourth on the team in scoring, with 9.5 points per game. In BIG EAST play, she is the only Friar averaging double figures in the scoring column (11.4 ppg). She also improves her shooting percentage in BIG EAST play, from .414 to .442 (53-120). Efosa has reached double figures in the scoring column 10 times, including five BIG EAST games. She recorded a career-high 27 points in the Friars' win over then-No. 25/24 Creighton.
BLOCK PARTY... Olivia Olsen ranks second in the BIG EAST and 25th in the nation in blocked shots (39). She has recorded at least one blocked shot in 19 of the Friars' 23 games, including 13-straight games heading into the match-up against UConn. She also has recorded 10 multi-block games. As a rookie, Olsen recorded 28 blocked shots and she owns 67 for her career.
JANAI CROOMS MISSES FRIARS' MOST RECENT GAME VS. XAVIER... Janai Crooms, who leads the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.2 spg) missed the Friars' most recent game against Xavier on Jan. 28 due to a death in her family. The Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and 2022 BIG EAST Honorable Mention pick, started each of Providence's previous 22 games this season, and is expected to return to the floor for Wednesday's game against Connecticut. Despite Crooms' absence, the Friars claimed a thrilling 50-48 victory over the Musketeers.
JANAI CROOMS STANDS ALONE... Janai Crooms is only active player in the league with more than 1,200 points, 650 rebounds, 425 assists, 150 steals and 100 blocked shots in her career. Crooms ranks 19th in the BIG EAST in scoring (11.9 ppg), eighth in rebounding (7.2 rpg), fifth in assists (4.0 apg), eighth in field-goal percentage (.504), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.2 drpg), 12th in offensive rebounds (2.0 orpg) and 11th in blocked shots (0.9 bpg).
20 SOMETHING... Five different Friars have recorded at least one 20-point game this season. Janai Crooms has scored 20+ points in three of the Friars' 23 games. Olivia Olsen recorded the first 20+ point game of her career against Brown (22) on Dec. 7. On Dec. 28, Brynn Farrell dropped a career-best 21 points and Grace Efosa tallied a career-best 27 points against No. 25/24 Creighton on Jan. 4. Kylee Sheppard scored a season-best 20 points against Seton Hall on Jan. 8. Six players on the Friars' roster have recorded at least one 20-point game during their careers: Crooms (eight), Kylee Sheppard (three), Olsen (one) Farrell (one) Efosa (one) and Emily Archibald (one).
1,000-POINT MILESTONE... Janai Crooms scored her 1,000th point in the Friars' season opener vs. Dayton on Nov. 7. She entered the game 14 points shy of the milestone and hit the mark with 7:41 left in the third quarter. Crooms heads into Wednesday's game against UConn ranked 18th all-time in career scoring at Providence with 1,247 points.Â
CLIMBING THE LADDER... Janai Crooms ranks sixth on the Friars' all-time career assist list (426). Crooms dished 171 of her 426 assists during her two seasons at Ohio State (2018-20), added 65 at Michigan State (2020-21) and has registered 190 dimes with the Friars (2021-present). Through 134 career games, Crooms has averaged 3.2 assists per contest.
CROOMS CRACKS TOP-20 IN REBOUNDING... In addition to being ranked among Providence's all-time leaders in scoring and assists, Crooms also has cracked the top-20 in career rebounding at PC. She currently ranks 17th on the Friars' all-time list with 662 rebounds. She has recorded double-digit boards in four games this season, including a season-high 17 rebounds against Weber State on Nov. 26.Â
FRIARS PUT UP SEASON-BEST 85 POINTS AGAINST BRYANT... The Friars defeated Bryant, 85-60, on Nov. 27. It marks their highest single-game scoring total since Nov. 14, 2017, when they claimed a 98-95 overtime victory against Northeastern. It's the first time Providence scored 80+ points in a game since Feb. 8, 2019 when it defeated Seton Hall 82-75.
LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY SINCE 2018-19 SEASON... The Friars defeated Central Connecticut, 77-45, on Dec. 10. The 32-point win is the largest margin of victory since defeating Bryant by 44 (74-32) on Dec. 7, 2019. The Friars have won two games this season by 30-or-more points. Providence defeated Hartford, 60-30, on Nov. 25.
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NEWCOMERS... The Friars added two transfers and one freshman to the roster in 2022-23. Graduate student Logan Cook played four seasons at Iowa, during which time the Hawkeyes won two Big Ten titles (2019, 2022) and advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament (2022) and Sweet 16 (2019). She played 53 career games and averaged 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. Junior Brynn Farrell played two seasons at Florida, where she played 28 games for the Gators after being slowed by an injury. She averaged 2.9 points and 1.0 rebound per game and connected on 22-28 free throw attempts in two seasons (.786). Kammie Ludwig is the lone true freshman on the squad and attended Geneseo High School prior to arriving on campus. The 3A All-State selection and IBCA All-State honoree averaged 24.6 points per game as a senior and finished her career as Geneseo's all-time leading scorer (1,881 points).
JANAI CROOMS MAKES CONSECUTIVE APPEARANCES ON BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Janai Crooms earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll in back-to-back weeks (Nov. 21 & 28). To claim her most recent recognition, Crooms was named Most Outstanding Player of the Friar Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 25-27) after averaging 11.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in a 3-0 week for Providence.
KYLEE SHEPPARD NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL AS FRIARS CLOSE NON-CONFERENCE PLAY... Sophomore guard Kylee Sheppard was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Dec. 26. She posted her first career double-double against Sacred Heart on Dec. 20, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She also added four assists, two steals and a career-best two blocked shots.Â
JANAI CROOMS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAM... Senior guard Janai Crooms was among the list of 11 student-athletes named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, released at the league's annual media day on Oct. 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Crooms is entering her second season with the Friars and her final season of NCAA Division I basketball. In addition to her time at Providence (2021-present), she also played two seasons at Ohio State (2018-20) and one season at Michigan State (2020-21). A year ago, Crooms was named All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention after leading the Friars in scoring (13.8 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and assists (3.5 apg).
2021-22 UNANIMOUS BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM HONOREE KYLEE SHEPPARD RETURNS FOR SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN... Kylee Sheppard missed a third of her rookie season with injuries, but still found a way to make a significant impact during her time on the court. She appeared in 20 of the Friars' 30 games and averaged 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds. 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Sheppard finished the year ranked third on the team in scoring and second in assists and steals. She shot 40.2-percent from the field (68-169), including 24-68 from three-point territory (.353), and recorded eight double-digit scoring games. Sheppard notched 20+ points in two games as a rookie, and both came during BIG EAST regular-season play, including a career-best 22 points against DePaul (Jan. 7) on 9-12 shooting from the field.
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FRIARS IN THE POSTSEASON... The Friars' last appeared in the postseason during the 2018-19 campaign. 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 follows (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 travel to South Orange, N.J. to take on Seton Hall at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4.
