Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Xavier

GAME INFORMATION VS. XAVIER | JANUARY 27 | CINTAS CENTER | CINCINNATI, OHIO | 2:00 PM
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PROVIDENCE HEADS TO CINCINNATI TO TAKE ON XAVIER... The Friars head to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on Xavier in BIG EAST Conference action on Saturday, Jan. 27. The game will be played at the Cintas Center and is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 p.m.

FRIARS VS. MUSKETEERS ALL-TIME... The Friars and Musketeers have played 20 times during the history of the two women's basketball programs. Xavier leads the all-time series, 11-9. Providence has had upper hand recently, claiming wins in eight of the last 11 meetings. The Friars swept the season series in 2022-23.

PROVIDENCE AND XAVIER AT THE CINTAS CENTER... In 10 meetings all-time at the Cintas Center, Xavier leads the series 7-3. Providence has earned victories in each of the last two meetings at the Cintas Center, including a 50-48 win in the most recent match-up between the two teams on Jan. 28, 2023.

DOWN TO THE WIRE... Three of the last four games between Providence and Xavier have been decided by five points or less. The Friars are 2-1 in those games, including a 2-0 mark at the Cintas Center.

FRIARS EVEN THEIR RECORD IN LEAGUE PLAY... Providence is 4-4 in BIG EAST Conference action this season and have won two-straight league games heading into Saturday's match-up with Xavier. The Friars will be attempting to win three-straight in league play for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Providence has already matched its win total in BIG EAST play from a season ago, when the squad posted a 4-16 mark.

FRIARS RALLY TO DEFEAT VILLANOVA IN OVERTIME... On Jan. 24, the Friars rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Villanova in overtime, 82-76. Grace Efosa (29) and Marta Morales Romero (26) combined to score 55 points in the victory, with both scoring totals marking career highs. Efosa put the Friars on her back in the second half, scoring 21 of her 29 points. She tallied 14 of the Friars' 24 points in the third quarter. Providence's defense held Lucy Olsen, the league's leading scorer, to just two second-half points. Olivia Olsen and Brynn Farrell rounded out the list of Friars in double figures, each scoring 11 points. Olsen also contributed 13 rebounds for her league-leading ninth double-double. Providence out-rebounded Villanova 45-36 and held a +23 scoring advantage at the foul line. The Friars finished the game 27-40 from the stripe, while Villanova converted 4-6 attempts at the line.

20/20... Grace Efosa (29) and Marta Morales Romero (26) combined to score 55 points against Villanova on Feb. 24. They are the first Friar duo to each score 20+ points in BIG EAST regular-season game since Jan. 18, 2019. On that day, Jovana Nogic (24) and Maddie Jolin (20) achieved the feat against Butler. Additionally, it marks the second time this season that a pair of Friars has scored 20+ points in the same game. In the season opener vs. Hampton, Olivia Olsen scored 25 points and Efosa netted 21.

ONE (OF ONE)... Olivia Olsen is the only player in the league averaging a double-double during BIG EAST regular-season action with 13.6 points and a conference-best 10.1 rebounds per game. Olsen has recorded a double-double in five of eight league games, and owns a league-best nine double-doubles overall.

GRACE EFOSA RETURNS FROM INJURY... Senior guard Grace Efosa returned to the court on Jan. 10 against No. 13/14 Connecticut after missing the previous 11 games with an injury. In the five games she has played since her return, Efosa has averaged a team-best 16.4 points and has added 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She has played 10 games overall and is averaging 14.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

IMPROVING BEYOND THE ARC... Through 13 non-conference games, the Friars shot a dismal 27.1-percent from three-point territory (49-181). Through the first eight BIG EAST games, Providence has converted 38.5-percent of its three-point attempts (42-109), which ranks third in the league during conference play.

DIALED IN FROM DEEP... Brynn Farrell and Marta Morales Romero have been dialed in from three-point territory during BIG EAST play. Farrell ranks third in the league in three-point percentage (.565, 13-23) and Morales Romero ranks fourth (.500, 14-28).

DEFENDING THE THREE-POINT ARC... In addition to shooting the ball well from beyond the arc, Providence leads the league in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to just 28-percent from deep (55-195).

MORE DEFENSE... The Friars have held 10 opponents below 40-percent shooting from the field this season overall. In those games, they have compiled a 8-2 record. Their two losses in that scenario came against No. 10/11 Baylor and Kennesaw State at the West Palm Beach Classic (Dec. 20 -21).

DOUBLE-TROUBLE... Three Friars have recorded double-doubles this season. Olivia Olsen leads the BIG EAST with nine double-doubles and owns 13 in her career. She has recorded a double-double in seven of the last 10 games she has played. Brynn Farrell is second on the team with two double-doubles, marking the first of her career. Marta Morales Romero rounds out the list of players on the roster with a double-double, having recorded the first of her career against DePaul (Jan. 3) with 12 points and 10 boards.

DOUBLE-DIGITS... Ten different Friars have reached double digits in the scoring column this season in at least one game. Olivia Olsen leads the way with 18 double-digit games. Brynn Farrell in second on the team in double-digit scoring games, with 12. Through eight BIG EAST games, Olsen and Farrell have each recorded double figures in the scoring column seven times.

OLIVIA OLSEN ECLIPSES 500 CAREER REBOUNDS... Olivia Olsen eclipsed 500 career rebounds in the Friars' game against Connecticut (Jan. 10), as she matched her career high with 13 boards. She enters Saturday's game at Xavier with 549 career rebounds. She leads the Friars and ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding, averaging 9.5 boards per game. During BIG EAST regular-season play, Olsen leads the conference on the glass, with 11.1 rebounds per game. Additionally, Olsen is second in the conference in double-digit rebounding games (10).

HOME AND AWAY... The Friars have posted a 7-4 record this season when playing at home in Alumni Hall. Conversely, Providence has compiled a 3-7 mark in games played on the road.

FRIARS' SCHEDULE FILLED WITH 2022-23 POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS... Thirteen of the Friars' opponents in 2023-34 qualified for postseason play last season. Ten of those 13 teams competed in the NCAA Tournament, while three others earned invitations to the WNIT. Among the list of 2022-23 NCAA Tournament participants are Vermont, Iona, Sacred Heart, Baylor and five BIG EAST Conference opponents, UConn, Creighton, Marquette, St. John's and Villanova. The teams that competed in the WNIT are Columbia, Rhode Island and Seton Hall. The Friars have faced 10 of these opponents, thus far, and have compiled a 5-6 record.

OLIVIA OLSEN RANKED AMONG BIG EAST LEADERS... Junior Olivia Olsen ranks among BIG EAST leaders in eight different statistical categories, including a top-two ranking in six of those categories. Below is a breakdown of where Olsen ranks among BIG EAST players overall.

Scoring: 15th (14.5 ppg)

Rebounding: 2nd (9.5 rpg)

Field-goal percentage: 5th (.539)

Blocked shots: 2nd (1.9 bpg)

Offensive rebounding: 2nd (3.3 orpg)

Defensive rebounding: t-1st (6.2 drpg)

Double-doubles: 1st (9)

Double-digit rebounding games: 2nd (10)

LEADING THE WAY... Olivia Olsen has led the Friars in scoring during 12 of the 20 games she has played in this season and has led the team in rebounding 14 times. She has scored in double figures a team-best 18 times.

TOUGH ON THE BOARDS... During BIG EAST regular-season play the Friars lead the league in rebounding offense (41.6 rpg) and rebounding margin (+11.1). Additionally, the Friars are ranked second in the league in rebounding defense (30.5 rpg). Olivia Olsen leads the BIG EAST in rebounding during league play at 11.1 boards per game. Three other Friars are averaging 5.0-rebounds per game or better during league play: Brynn Farrell (5.9), Grace Efosa (5.2) and Emily Archibald (5.0).

BALL SECURITY... The Friars have committed 20+ turnovers in 11 of their 21 games this season and have posted a 4-7 record in those contests. Providence recorded a season-high 28 miscues against UConn on Jan. 10. The Friars committed a season-low 11 turnovers against Monmouth (Nov. 22). Providence is averaging 21.6 turnovers per game in BIG EAST play and have been outscored 173-91 in points off turnovers.

BRYNN FARRELL MAKING A BIG IMPACT... Brynn Farrell has cracked the starting line-up in 20 of the Friars' 21 games and has impacted both ends of the floor for her team. She currently ranks third on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg), rebounding (5.0 rpg) and also contributes 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. She has scored in double-figures 12 times this year, including a career-high 23 points on two occasions vs. Yale (Dec. 9) and Kennesaw State (Dec. 21). She has reached double figures in seven of eight BIG EAST games, including six-straight heading into Saturday's match-up with Xavier. Farrell ranks second on the team in double-doubles, with two. During BIG EAST play, Farrell improves to 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 56.5-percent from three-point territory (13-23).

SINGLE DIGITS... Twelve of the Friars' 21 games have been decided by 10 points or less this season. Providence has compiled a 7-5 record in those games, including a 4-2 mark in BIG EAST play.

LARYN EDWARDS CRACKS STARTING LINE-UP... Graduate student Laryn Edwards was officially added to the roster on Nov. 28. She played four seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at Loyola (Md.) (2018-22) and joined the Providence College women's basketball program as a graduate assistant in the Fall of 2022, under then-Head Coach Jim Crowley. Since being activated on the roster this season, Edwards has played 11 games and has appeared in the starting line-up nine times. She's averaging 3.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Edwards scored a season-high 10 points against Sacred Heart on Dec. 16. At Loyola, Edwards played 65 career games with 41 appearances in the starting line-up. She averaged 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

BLOCK PARTY... Olivia Olsen enters Saturday's game at Xavier with 119 blocked shots as a Friar. Last season, she recorded a career-high 53 blocked shots and became the fifth player in program history to record 50+ blocks in a single season. Her 53 blocks is tied for the second-highest single-season total in program history. The single-season record for blocks was set by Mary Ann McCoy in 1977-78, with 68. This season, Olsen has swatted 38 shots and ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks per game (1.9). She matched her career high in blocked shots on two occasions this season vs. Sacred Heart and Georgetown.

FRIARS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS THIS SEASON... The Friars are 0-3 vs. nationally-ranked opponents this season, and 1-0 vs. teams receiving votes in the national polls. The Friars fell to No. 10/11 Baylor, 61-36, on Dec. 20 at the West Palm Beach Classic. Providence fell to No. 13/14 UConn (85-41) at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. and No. 22/21 Creighton (81-70) at D.J. Sokol Arena in back-to-back games. The Friars defeated Seton Hall, 51-46, who was receiving votes in the Coaches' Poll at the time the game was played (Dec. 30).

LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED A RANKED OPPONENT... The Friars last defeated a ranked opponent on Jan. 4, 2023. That day, Providence took down No. 25/24 Creighton, 79-75, in Omaha, Neb.

OLIVIA OLSEN AND BRYNN FARRELL RECORD DOUBLE-DOUBLES VS. ST. JOHN'S... Olivia Olsen and Brynn Farrell each recorded a double-double in the Friars' game against St. John's. Farrell finished with 18 points and 12 boards and Olsen added 12 points and 10 rebounds. The last time two Friars recorded double-doubles in the same game dates back to the 2014-15 season.

2023-24 CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED... Seniors Grace Efosa and Brynn Farrell and juniors Kylee Sheppard and Emily Archibald were named team captains ahead of the 2023-24 season. Head Coach Erin Batth made the announcement on Oct. 30, prior to the team's exhibition game vs. New Haven (Nov. 1).

MARTA MORALES ROMERO AND UGNE SIRTAUTAITE REPRESENT THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES IN FIBA EVENTS... Junior Marta Morales Romero (Spain) and freshman Ugne Sirtautaite (Lithuania) have each represented their respective countries in high-level FIBA-sponsored events. Morales Romero most recently competed in the 2023 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship (Jul. 29-Aug. 6) and helped guide Spain to a Bronze Medal while averaging 8.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She finished second among her teammates in scoring (8.3 ppg) and shot 43.5-percent from the floor overall (20-46). Sirtautaite recently played in the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup held in Madrid, Spain (Jul. 15-23). She averaged 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 43.3-percent from the field (23-53). Additionally, she scored a personal-best of 19 points on 7-10 shooting during the Round of 16 vs. Egypt (July 19) and recorded a personal-best 11 rebounds during classification play against Mali (July 22).

SARAH BANDOMA MAKES HER WAY BACK TO THE OCEAN STATE... Junior forward Sarah Bandoma played two seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at St. Francis College Brooklyn. The college announced it was eliminating its athletics programs at the close of the 2022-23 academic year, so Bandoma entered the transfer portal. The Johnston, R.I. native signed with the Friars and first-year Head Coach Erin Batth and has two years of eligibility. During her two seasons at St. Francis, Bandoma appeared in 49 games and was a member of the starting line-up 29 times. Last season, she led St. Francis in rebounding (7.0 rpg), offensive rebounding (3.3 orpg), blocked shots (44) and field-goal percentage (.491, 81-165). She chipped in 6.1 points per game.

OLIVIA OLSEN, GRACE EFOSA AND KYLEE SHEPPARD RETURN TO FRIARS TO PLAY FOR FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH ERIN BATTH... Olivia Olsen, Grace Efosa and Kylee Sheppard entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The trio each finished in the top four on the team in scoring and rebounding. All three players decided to return to Friartown after exploring their options and speaking to Coach Batth and her newly assembled staff. The three players combined for 43.9-percent of the Friars' scoring last season, totaling 853 of Providence's 1,942 points.

KYLEE SHEPPARD TO MISS REMAINDER OF 2023-24 SEASON... It was announced on Jan. 5 that junior guard Kylee Sheppard will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season due to an injury. Sheppard, a team captain, started six games for the Friars this season and averaged 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-best 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

ERIN BATTH ERA BEGINS IN FRIARTOWN... Erin Batth was hired as the 11th women's basketball coach in program history at Providence College on March 20, 2023. Batth arrived in Friartown with 17 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with her most recent stops coming at NC State (2018-22) and Michigan (2022-23). She has been part of five conference championships, eight NCAA Elite Eight appearances and three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. She also served as an assistant coach at Liberty (2017-18), Georgia State (2014-17), Tennessee Tech (2012-14) and Towson (2010-12). Batth earned her first career win as a head coach on Nov. 7 vs. Hampton (76-46).

ERIN BATTH'S PLAYING CAREER... Batth played collegiately at Clemson and graduated in 2001. She earned Second-Team Defensive All-America honors and All-ACC Second Team honors during her career. As a senior, she averaged 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and finished her impressive four-year career with 972 points, 722 rebounds and 116 blocked shots. She helped the Tigers to four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and helped Clemson advance to the Sweet 16 in 1999. Batth was the first player from Clemson drafted into the WNBA, going to the Cleveland Rockers in 2001. She played professionally with Panithnaikos and Appollon (in Greece) and Migros (in Turkey). Her WNBA experience also included time with the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Sacramento Monarchs.

ERIN BATTH RADIO SHOW TO DEBUT ON 790 THE SCORE... The seventh recording of the Erin Batth Radio Show will air on Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 4:30-5:00 p.m. on 790 The Score. The show was developed via an existing partnership between Providence College Athletics, LEARFIELD's Providence Friars Sports Properties and Cumulus Media Providence. The show is hosted by Mike Mancuso, who is in his sixth season as the lead the play-by-play voice of Friar women's basketball. Listen live online at: https://www.thescore790.com or tune in to 790AM. The show also will be available online via the Varsity Network app. The remaining schedule is below:

Feb. 7 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Feb. 21 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Mar. 6 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

FRIARS SIGN TWO PLAYERS... First-year Providence College women's basketball Head Coach Erin Batth announced on Nov. 8 that Orlagh Gormley (North Quincy, Mass.) and Audrey Shields (Troy, N.Y.) each signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Providence in the Fall of 2024. Gormley, a 5-7 point guard, currently attends Dexter Southfield, where she earned NEPSAC AA First-Team All-Star recognition, Patriot League Most Valuable Player and Dexter Southfield MVP honors. During the 2022-23 season at Dexter, Gormley averaged 14.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 4.2 steals per game, while recording a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio. Before arriving at Dexter Southfield in 2022-23, she spent the previous two years at Quincy High School, where she was named Boston Globe First Team Dream Team and Boston Herald All-Star accolades. Gormley led North Quincy to the MIAA Elite 8 and was named Team MVP, en route to setting the all-time scoring record at Quincy. Additionally, she was selected to play with the U-18 Irish National Team and helped the team win a Gold medal at the Four Nations Tournament in Cardiff, Wales (2023). Gormley was recently announced as a nominee for the 2023-24 McDonald's All-American Game. Gormley played AAU basketball for MCW Starz Elite. Shields, a 6-1 guard/forward, currently attends Emma Willard School. She is a three-time First-Team All-Wasaren League and two-time team captain. During the 2022-23 campaign, Shields averaged 18.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.1 steals per game. She was named Team MVP last season. In her first year with the program, she was the recipient of the prestigious Helen S. Cheel Award in recognition of athletic achievement, sportsmanship and spirit. Additionally, Shields has had the opportunity to compete with the youth German National Teams in 2019 and 2022. Shields played AAU basketball for New York Havoc and has competed in the Nike EYBL. Shields averaged 11.1 points per game playing on the prestigious Under Armour Circuit.

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 return to action on Saturday, Feb. 3 against Marquette. The game will be played at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. and is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Emily Archibald

Sarah Bandoma

Laryn Edwards

Grace Efosa

Brynn Farrell

Marta Morales Romero

Olivia Olsen

Kylee Sheppard

Ugne Sirtautaite

Providence College Athletics