Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Late Night Madness on October 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Men's Basketball
vs Late Night Madness
6:30 PM
Providence College Athletics
Saturday, December 7
Kingston, R.I.
12:00 PM
Providence College
6-4,0-0Big East
63
at
69
Rhode Island
9-0,0-0Atlantic 10
1
2
F
Providence
35
28
63
Rhode Island
28
41
69
Men’s Basketball Defeated At Rhode Island, 69-63
12/7/2024 2:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bryce Hopkins and Bensley Joseph each scored 16 points for the Friars.
KINGSTON, R.I. - The Providence College men's basketball team was defeated by the Rhode Island Rams (9-0), 69-63, in an intrastate road match on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Thomas M. Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. The Friars moved to a 6-4 mark on the season. Seniors Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) and Bryce Hopkins spearheaded the Providence offense with 16 points each. Hopkins led the team with eight rebounds, while Joseph paced the Friars with three assists.
FIRST HALF:
• The Rams jumped out to a four-point lead to start the game. Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) responded for the Friars with a three-pointer from the top of the key that cut the deficit to one (17:04), 4-3.
• Christ Essandoko (Clichy, France) scored a layup in the paint to give PC its first lead of the game, 5-4. Wesley Cardet Jr. (Tallahassee, Fla.) silenced the Rams with an emphatic dunk that capped off the team's 7-0 run and sent the game into its first media timeout (15:38). Friars led, 7-4.
• Both teams went back-and-forth over the next five minutes.
• At the under-8 timeout (6:43), the Friars led 28-21.
• The Friars began to pull away as they scored five unanswered points. By the final media timeout of the half (3:28), the Friars led by 10, 33-23.
• The Rams scored a quick field goal coming out of the timeout. Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) quickly ensued with an ally-oop dunk off a pass from Pierre, 35-25.
• The Friars led 35-28 entering halftime.
• The Rams struggled offensively as they missed their final four field goal attempts and converted only two of their final 12.
• Providence endured a scoring drought over the last 2:55 minutes of the half.
• The Friars outrebounded the Rams in total rebounds (22-18) including defensive rebounds (18-13).
• Providence shot 14-30 (46.7%) from the field, 4-10 (40.0%) from three, and 3-5 (60.0%) from the free-throw line.
• Rhode Island shot 11-32 (34.4%) from the field, 2-10 (20.0%) from three and 4-6 (66.7%) from the free throw line.
SECOND HALF:
• Rhode Island started the half with three points. Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) opened the PC's scoring with a three (18:37).
• The Friars entered an almost three-minute scoring drought that allowed the Rams to chip away at the lead. With 16:11 remaining, URI's Sebastian Thomas scored a layup to cut the deficit to three which prompted a Providence timeout. The Friars led, 38-35.
• Coming out of the first media timeout (15:57), Joseph converted a layup off a URI turnover to extend PC's lead back to five 40-35.
• Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) caught fire as he added six points to maintain the Friars' lead and secure his place in double figure scoring.
• The Rams continued to battle and chip away at the lead. At the 12:20 mark, David Fuchs capped a 7-0 run with a layup that brought Rhode Island within one point, 46-45. The basket marked the Rams' third straight field goal and their fifth successful attempt in their last seven shots.
• Exiting the under-12 media timeout, the Friars regained their composure as they held the Rams scoreless for over two minutes and denied them on six consecutive field goal attempts.
• With 9:20 on the clock, the Rams tied the score at 48.
• Cardet Jr. swiftly restored a two-point lead for the Friars by sinking two free throws.
• The Rams responded with a jumper to reclaim lead for the first time since the opening two minutes of the game.
• At the under-8 timeout (7:50), the Friars trailed by one, 50-49.
• Both teams went back-and-forth as they exchanged the lead two times in the span of 50 seconds.
• The Rams began to pull away with a 6-0 run. At the media timeout (4:25), the Friars trailed 60-55.
• Pierre and Hopkins gained momentum with back-to-back dunks to bring the score within one, 60-59. The Rams called a timeout with 2:50 remaining.
• URI scored two baskets to take a three-point lead, 64-61 with 1:54 on the clock.
• With 24 seconds to go, the Rams took a six-point lead.
• The Rams were able to edge out the Friars for the remainder of the game. Friars fell, 69-63.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Providence finished 25-57 (43.9%) from the field, 5-20 (25.0%) from three and 8-15 (53.3%) from the free throw line.
• Rhode Island finished 26-61 (42.6%) from the field, 5-15 (33.3%) from three and 12-19 (63.2%) from the free throw line.
• Three Friars scored in double figures: Bryce Hopkins (16), Bensley Joseph (16), and Jayden Pierre (12).
NOTES
• Attendance: 7, 685
• The Friars now hold a 77-57 mark all-time versus URI.
• The Friars have now posted an 8-3 mark in the last 11 games versus URI.
• The Friars now hold a 157-114 mark versus current teams in the A10.
UP NEXT
The Friars will open BIG EAST play on the road when they face the DePaul Blue Demons (7-1) on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
Providence leads the all-time series against DePaul, 40-13, including a 16-8 record in road games. In their most recent matchups last season, the Friars secured an 81-70 victory at home on February 17, 2024, and achieved a 100-62 win on the road on January 17, 2024.
-GO FRIARS!-
Team Stats
PROV
URI
FG%
.439
.426
3FG%
.250
.333
FT%
.533
.632
RB
35
40
TO
13
12
STL
10
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
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