Providence College Athletics
Providence College
12-16,6-9Big East
Villanova
17-9,10-5Big East
Friars' Come-Back Effort Falls Short In 68-58 Loss At Villanova
2/21/2024 9:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Grace Efosa paced the Friars with 14 points; Olivia Olsen recorded her team-best 10th double-double.
VILLANOVA, PA. – Providence College rallied from a 21-point deficit and cut Villanova's lead to single-digits in the fourth quarter before falling to the Wildcats, 68-58, on Feb. 21 at Finneran Pavilion. Providence dropped to 12-16 on the year (6-9 BIG EAST), while Villanova improved to 17-9 (10-5 BIG EAST). The two teams split the 2023-24 season series, with each team winning on its home court.
1ST QUARTER:
• Providence trailed 10-6 at the first media timeout (4:26).
• Brynn Farrell drained a pair of free throws out of the break to get Providence within two (10-8).
• Villanova closed the quarter with a 14-4 scoring advantage to take a 24-12 lead at the intermission.
2ND QUARTER:
• Providence cut the deficit to nine with a 5-2 spurt to start the second.
• The Wildcats responded with a 6-0 spurt to extend their lead to 15 (32-17) with 5:50 to play.
• The Friars' defense held the Wildcats scoreless for over four minutes while creeping within eight (32-24) with 1:57 to play.
• The run came exclusively from the free throw line, where the Friars converted 7-8 attempts. Providence did not hit a field goal in the final 7:42 of the quarter.
• The Wildcats closed the quarter with five unanswered points to take a 37-24 lead at halftime.
• Villanova outscored Providence 17-1 in points off turnovers during the first half.
3RD QUARTER:
• The Wildcats pushed their lead to 21 with a 7-0 run (52-31).
• Ugne Sirtautaite ended the run with strong drive to the hoop at the 3:32 mark.
• Villanova outscored Providence 19-13 in the third and carried a 56-37 lead into the fourth quarter.
4TH QUARTER:
• Olivia Olsen scored six-straight points for the Friars, forcing a Villanova timeout with 6:21 to play (58-43).
• Providence extended its run to 13-2 to get within 10 with 4:12 to play.
• Morales Romero and Brynn Farrell hit back-to-back threes in the extended offensive push and Farrell added a free throw.
• A three-point bucket from Efosa cut the deficit to single digits with 2:43 to play (64-55).
• Despite outscoring Villanova 21-12 in the fourth, the come-back effort fell short (68-58).
NOTES:
• Providence trailed by as many as 21 in the game before cutting the deficit to nine in the fourth quarter.
• Efosa paced the Friars with 14 points and contributed four rebounds and three assists.
• Olsen registered her team-best 10th double-double of the season on 13 points and 10 rebounds. She also added two assists.
• Farrell rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points.
• Lucy Olsen scored a game-high 30 points to lead the Wildcats.
• Seventeen of the Friars' games have been decided by 10 points or less this season and Providence has compiled an 8-9 record in those contests, including a 1-1 mark against Villanova.
• Providence out-rebounded Villanova, 34-30.
• The Wildcats held a 40-16 scoring advantage in the paint and also finished the game with a 21-5 edge in points off turnovers.
WHAT'S NEXT:
• The Friars return to action on Saturday, Feb. 24 against St. John's. The game will be played at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y. and is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 p.m. It marks Providence's final regular-season road game of the year before closing out the schedule at home against Seton Hall (Feb. 28) and UConn (March 2).
• The BIG EAST Tournament is scheduled to be played March 8-11 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
- GO FRIARS! -
