Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. St. John's

GAME INFORMATION VS. ST. JOHN'S | WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1 | ALUMNI HALL | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 2:00 PM
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FRIARS HOST ST. JOHN'S IN BIG EAST HOME OPENER... The Providence College women's basketball team played its first two BIG EAST games on the road and will return to Alumni Hall to host St. John's in its BIG EAST home opener. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 1 and will tip-off at 2:00 p.m.

FRIARS VS. RED STORM ALL-TIME... Providence and St. John's have met 80 times during the history of the two women's basketball programs. The Red Storm lead the all-time series, 48-32. St. John's has earned victories in each of the last five meetings - all of which were decided by single digits.

LAST TIME THE FRIARS DEFEATED THE RED STORM... Providence last defeated St. John's on Jan. 14, 2022. The Friars claimed a 56-49 victory on that day at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I.

FRIARS AND RED STORM AT ALUMNI HALL... The Friars and Red Storm have played 37 times at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. St. John's leads the series at Alumni Hall, 23-14. Five of the last six games at Alumni Hall have been decided by single digits, including three games by three points or less. In the most recent meeting at Alumni Hall (Jan. 6, 2024), St. John's earned a 55-48 win.

DOWN TO THE WIRE... Eleven of the last 14 games in the all-time series have been decided by single digits, including two games that went to overtime. St. John's holds a 6-5 advantage in the series in those games.

LEADING AT THE HALF... The Friars have held the lead or have been tied with their opponent at halftime in 10 of their 15 games and have posted a 6-4 record in those contests. The Friars are 1-4 when trailing at the half. Their lone win when trailing at halftime came against URI on Dec. 4.

SINGLE DIGITS... Ten of the Friars' 15 games have been decided by single digits. The Friars have compiled a 5-5 record in those games.

20 POINT GAMES... Grace Efosa has eclipsed the 20-point mark this season a team-best five times. Efosa is one of seven players in the BIG EAST to record five-or-more 20-point games this season. Brynn Farrell is the only other Friar to scored 20+ points this season, having hit for a career-best 27 points against Brown on Dec. 7.

Grace Efosa's 20-Point Games

20 - at Vermont (11/12/24)

22 - at Dayton (11/21/24)

21 - vs. Wisconsin (11/29/24)

27 - vs. Brown (12/7/24)

20 - at Seton Hall (12/21/24)

Brynn Farrell's 20-Point Games

27 - vs. Brown (12/7/24)

DOUBLE-TROUBLE... Two Friars have recorded double-doubles this season. Olivia Olsen leads the Friars and is tied for second in the BIG EAST, with four: Mercy (12 pts/10 rebs), Boston College (10 pts / 18 rebs), Wisconsin (10 pts/11 rebs) and Merrimack (16 pts/11 rebs). Emily Archibald recorded the first double-double of her career on Nov. 30 in the Friars' game against San Diego State (10 pts/11 rebs).

NINE DIFFERENT FRIARS CRACK THE STARTING LINE-UP... Nine different Friars have cracked the starting line-up this season. Graduate student Grace Efosa is the only player on the roster to start all 15 games. Olivia Olsen has started 14 games.

GRACE EFOSA PACES THE FRIARS' OFFENSE... Grace Efosa is the only Friar on the roster averaging double figures in the scoring column this season through 15 games (15.7 ppg), and ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in scoring. Efosa has reached double digits in the scoring column during 13 of 15 games, including a career-best streak of 11-straight games. Efosa is shooting 50-percent from the field (92-184), which ranks fifth in the BIG EAST, and leads the team in 20-point games (five).

OLIVIA OLSEN SCORES 1,000th POINT... Olivia Olsen scored her 1,000th career point on Nov. 17 in the Friars' game at Boston College. She achieved the feat with 7:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. She is the 38th-player in program history to reach the milestone. Through 109 career games, Olsen owns 1,083 career points and ranks 29th on the Friars' all-time scoring list.

CLEANING THE GLASS... Olivia Olsen is the top-returning rebounder in the BIG EAST from a season ago. During the 2023-24 season, Olsen averaged 8.5 rebounds per game. Through 15 games this season, Olsen is averaging 8.3 rebounds per contest and ranks second in the BIG EAST. Olsen owns six double-digit rebounding games this season, which is tied for first in the BIG EAST. She has recorded double-digit boards in each of the last three games, and has 25 in her career.

TOP-10 IN CAREER REBOUNDS... Olivia Olsen secured 11 rebounds in the Friars' most recent game against Connecticut and jumped into eighth place in career rebounding at Providence with 758 boards. She needs 27 rebounds to take sole possession of seventh place, currently held by Mary Ellen Buchanan '79, who hauled in 784 rebounds from 1975-79.

OLIVIA OLSEN HAULS IN CAREER-HIGH 18 BOARDS AT BOSTON COLLEGE... On Nov. 17, Olivia Olsen hauled in a career-high 18 rebounds vs. Boston College. Her 18 boards marks the highest single-game rebounding total by a BIG EAST player this season. Additionally, Olsen's 18 boards were four shy of the Providence College single-game record (22), set by Britt King '86 on Jan. 2, 1985 against Pittsburgh.

CHARITY STRIPE... Two Friars are ranked in the top-10 among BIG EAST players in free-throw percentage this season. Graduate student Brynn Farrell leads the Friars in free-throw shooting percentage and ranks second in the BIG EAST at 88.4-percent (38-43). Grace Efosa ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.792, 42-53).

DOUBLE DIGITS... Eight of the 14 active players on the Friars' roster have scored in double figures at least once this season through 15 games. Grace Efosa has reached double figures a team-best 13 times. Brynn Farrell ranks second on the team in double-digit scoring games, with six.

GRACE EFOSA NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Grace Efosa was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Dec. 9, marking her second appearance on the league's honor roll this season. Efosa averaged 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 steal in a 2-0 week for the Friars. She combined to shoot 58-percent (18-31) from the field in victories over Rhode Island (6-12) and Brown (12-19). Her 12 made field goals against Brown are tied for the most made field goals by a BIG EAST player this season. Efosa recorded 18 points, six rebounds and one assist against in a 48-45 win over Rhode Island on Dec. 4. She hit a pair of free throws with 6.8-seconds left in regulation to seal the victory. On Dec. 7, Efosa dropped a season-high 27 points in an 87-81 overtime victory against Brown. She added six rebounds, one assist and two steals.

GRACE EFOSA NAMED TO CANCUN CHALLENGE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM... Graduate student Grace Efosa was named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament Team. In three games at the tournament, she averaged 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Her top scoring effort in the Cancun Challenge came against Big Ten foe Wisconsin (21 points).

GRACE EFOSA NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Graduate student guard Grace Efosa was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Nov. 25. The Preseason All-BIG EAST selection averaged 18.0 points per game on 14-19 shooting (.737) in two games last week. She also averaged 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game for the Friars. At the charity stripe, Efosa shot a perfect 7-7 over the two-game span. Efosa scored a season-high 22 points on 8-10 shooting at Dayton on Nov. 21 to start the week. It marked her second 20+ point game of the season and sixth of her career. She followed with 14 points on 6-9 shooting against Delaware on Nov. 24.

OLIVIA OLSEN NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Senior forward Olivia Olsen was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 18. It marked her first weekly honor roll appearance of the season and sixth of her career. The 2024-25 Preseason All-BIG EAST selection averaged 9.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.5 blocked shots last week. She also shot 53-percent from the floor overall (9-17). Olsen opened the week with eight points on 4-5 shooting at Vermont on Nov. 12 and added six boards, two blocked shots and one steal. On Nov. 17 at Boston College, Olsen recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. She also tallied two assists and one blocked shot. Nine of Olsen's 18 boards came off the offensive glass. Additionally, her 18 rebounds are the highest single-game total by a BIG EAST player this season.

OLIVIA OLSEN AND GRACE EFOSA NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAM... Olivia Olsen and Grace Efosa were featured on the 2024-25 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, which was released at the league's annual media day on Oct. 23 at Madison Square Garden. Olivia Olsen, who earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors last season, led the team in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg), blocked shots (1.7 bpg), field-goal percentage (.526) and double-doubles (12). Efosa finished second on the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) and added 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. The Friars are one of three teams with multiple Preseason All-BIG EAST selections, joining UConn and Creighton.

FRIARS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN BIG EAST PRESEASON COACHES POLL... The Providence College women's basketball team was picked to finish third in the 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, released at the league's annual media day at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 23.

VETERAN SQUAD TAKES THE FLOOR IN 2024-25... Providence returned 11 players from last year's roster, including six players who saw extensive time in the starting line-up. The veteran roster is comprised of three graduate students, seven seniors, two sophomores and two freshmen.

POINT GUARD KYLEE SHEPPARD RETURNS TO COURT IN 2024-25... Senior point guard Kylee Sheppard has returned to the court in 2024-25 after playing just six games a season ago [injury]. In her six appearances, Sheppard averaged 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-best 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She has played 12 games in 2024-25, and is averaging 4.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

GRADUATE TRANSFER MACKAYLA SCARLETT JOINS FRIARS AFTER FOUR-YEAR CAREER AT BIG EAST FOE XAVIER... Guard MacKayla Scarlett joined the Friars' roster as a graduate student after an impressive four-year career at BIG EAST foe Xavier (2020-24). She led Xavier in scoring in back-to-back seasons, averaging 10.9 points in 2022-23 and 13.9 points per game in 2023-24. As a senior, Scarlett played 22 games and appeared in the starting line-up 19 times, while averaging a team-high 32.9 minutes per game. In addition to her 13.9 points per game, she also contributed 1.8 steals and 1.6 assists per game.

FRESH FACES... Orlagh Gormley and Audrey Shields are the lone freshmen on the Friars roster in 2024-25. Gormley most recently attended Dexter Southfield School (2022-24). As a senior captain in 2023-24, she averaged 22.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. She averaged 20+ points in three of her four seasons in high school and was a two-time AA NEPSAC All-Star selection. Shields was a four-time Team MVP at Emma Willard School, where she finished her career as the program's all-time leading scorer (1,243 points). As a senior, she averaged 30.7 points, 15.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game en-route to earning Wasaren League MVP honors.

OLIVIA OLSEN NAMED TO ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM... Olivia Olsen was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. It marked the first post-season honor of Olsen's career and she is one of 23 Friars to have claimed All-BIG EAST honors a total of 36 times during the program's 50-year history. Olsen led the Friars in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg), blocked shots (1.7 bpg), field-goal percentage (.526) and double-doubles (12). She played 32 of the Friars' 34 games and paced the team in scoring 18 times and rebounding on 19 occasions.

GRACE EFOSA BECOMES FIRST FRIAR SINCE 1993 TO CLAIM BIG EAST ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS... Grace Efosa was named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the league's 2024 Championship Game, held at Mohegan Sun Arena last March. Efosa became the first Friar to earn All-Tournament Team accolades since 1993, when Lucie Fontanella and Sonya Lewis were recognized. In two tournament games, Efosa averaged 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per contest. She shot 52-percent from the field (13-25), including 50-percent from three-point territory (2-4). Efosa also converted 8-10 attempts from the charity stripe. Efosa recorded 13 points, five boards, two assists and two steals in the Friars' victory over Butler in the First Round on March 8. She followed with 23 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in the Quarterfinals vs. top-seeded and ninth-ranked UConn on March 9. Efosa shot 57.1-percent from the field versus the Huskies and connected on 7-9 free-throw attempts.

BLOCK BUSTER... Olivia Olsen has recorded 53 blocked shots, in each of the last two seasons. Her 53 blocks is tied for the third-highest single-season total in program history. The single-season record for blocks at Providence was set by Mary Ann McCoy in 1977-78, with 68. Olsen matched her career high in blocked shots on two occasions vs. Sacred Heart and Georgetown (six). Through 15 games in 2024-25, Olsen has recorded a team-best 22 blocked shots (1.5 bpg).

Providence College Single-Season Blocks Leaders (50+)

69 - Mary Ann McCoy (1977-78)

57 – Monika Roberts (1999-00)

53 – Olivia Olsen (2023-24)

53 – Olivia Olsen (2022-23)

53 – Mary Baskerville (2018-19)

52 – Andrea Mangum (1990-91)

51 – Mary Baskerville (2019-20)

OLIVIA OLSEN IS ONE OF TWO PLAYERS TO RECORD 50+ BLOCKS IN MULTIPLE SEASONS... Olivia Olsen became the second player in program history to record 50-or-more blocked shots in multiple seasons, joining Mary Baskerville '22. Olsen recorded 53 blocked shots during each of the last two seasons. Baskerville recorded 53 blocks during the 2018-19 campaign and 51 in 2019-20.

FRIARS IN THE POSTSEASON... The Friars last appeared in the postseason during the 2023-24 campaign. Providence's 2024 WNIT selection marked the program's 16th post-season appearance overall and first since 2019. Complete post-season breakdown follows (records in parentheses):

2023-24 WNIT Round 2 (0-1)

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)

ERIN BATTH ERA... 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). She helped the Friars earn an bid to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in her first year at Providence in 2023-24.

FORMER FRIAR JOVANA NOGIC '19 HEADLINED SERBIA'S ROSTER FOR 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES IN PARIS... Former Friar Jovana (Yoyo) Nogic '19 played for her native Serbia at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris last summer. She guided Serbia to a sixth place finish at the Olympics. The team finished first in its group and advanced to the Quarterfinals, before all to Australia. Nogic averaged a team-best 12.3 points in the Olympics and added 4.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.8 rebounds per game. Nogic was a two-time All-BIG EAST selection for the Friars and finished her career ranked fourth all-time in scoring (1,724 points). She is the program's most prolific shooters, setting records for career three-point field goals (323), single-season three-point field goals (93), career free-throw percentage (.909) and single-season free-throw percentage (.945). Nogic also finished her career ranked third all-time in the BIG EAST Conference in three-point field goals during regular-season league play (167).

ERIN BATTH RADIO SHOW ON 790 THE SCORE... The second episode of the Erin Batth Radio Show will air on Thursday, Dec. 19 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 serves as the lead play-by-play voice of Friar women's basketball. Listen live online at http://www.thescore790.com or tune into 790 AM. The show also will be available via the Varsity Network app.

ERIN BATTH RADIO SHOW SCHEDULE • 790 THE SCORE

Nov. 21 – 4:30-5:00 p.m. (complete)

Dec. 19 – 4:30-5:00 p.m. (complete)

Jan. 16 – 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Feb. 6 – 4:30-5:00 p.m.

March 6 – 4:30-5:00 p.m.

WHAT'S NEXT... The Friars will host Creighton in BIG EAST Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 4 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network via FloCollege.

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Players Mentioned

Emily Archibald

Grace Efosa

Brynn Farrell

Orlagh Gormley

Olivia Olsen

MacKayla Scarlett

Kylee Sheppard

Audrey Shields

Providence College Athletics