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, March 8
Cincinnati, Ohio
4:00 PM
Providence College
12-19,6-14Big East
68
at
76
Xavier
21-10,13-7Big East
1
2
F
Providence
32
36
68
Xavier
36
40
76
Men’s Basketball Defeated By Xavier, 76-68
3/8/2025 6:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CINCINNATI, OHIO— The Providence College men's basketball team was defeated by the Xavier Musketeers (21-10, 13-7 BIG EAST), 76-68, on Saturday, March 8 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Friars finished regular season play with a 12-19 overall and 6-14 in BIG EAST play. Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) led the Friars with a game-high 27 points and tied a career-best with seven threes. Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.) anchored the team's defense with seven rebounds.
FIRST HALF:
• Corey Floyd Jr (Franklin, N.J.) kicked off the Friars' scoring action with a bucket in the lane. Joseph knocked down a three on the following possession that gave the Friars a 5-4 lead (17:21).
• Prior to the under-16 timeout, Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin, Nigeria) slammed an emphatic alley-oop dunk. The Friars led, 7-4 (15:05).
• Mela scored a contested layup that ended a 7-0 Xavier scoring run. Mela scored another bucket in the lane that cut the Musketeers' lead to 13-11 (12:04).
• Joseph knocked down his second three of the day and a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession that helped the Friars regain a 19-18 lead (9:03).
• Josph continued to fuel the Friar offense and knocked down his third three of the day as Xavier led 25-26 (6:44).
• Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.) knocked down a three for the Friars that ended a three-minute drought from the field as the team took a 32-31 lead (1:43).
• Xavier responded with back-to-back buckets that ended their own four-minute drought from the field. Xavier led 36-32 at the end of the first half.
• Joseph was the only Friar in double figures in the first half with 11 points and shooting a flawless 3-3 from behind the arc.
• Xavier's Ryan Conwell led all scorers with 13 first-half points.
SECOND HALF:
• Joseph opened the second half scoring with his fourth three of the day. Mela ensued with a pair of buckets in the paint that cut Xavier's lead to 42-41 (15:38).
• Out of the under-16 timeout Joseph knocked down another three for the Friars to tie the game at 44. Joseph led all scorers with 17 points (14:13).
• Xavier found their stride on offense as they knocked down four straight field goals and gained a 55-49 advantage leading into the under-12 media timeout (10:15).
• Joseph and Mela continued to pace the Friar offense, scoring on back-to-back possessions. Xavier led 60-53 (7:49).
• As Xavier continued to stay in command of the game, Erhunmwunse slammed a dunk that cut the Musketeers' lead to 65-58 (5:00).
• Joseph knocked down his seventh three-pointer of the day for the Friars. As PC kept closing the gap on Xavier's lead Floyd Jr., knocked down another three on the next possession. Xavier led 69-64 with 2:59 left to play.
• The Musketeers maintained control of the game in the closing minutes of the second half. Xavier held onto a 76-68 lead as time expired
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Two Friars finished in double figures: Joseph (27), Mela (12).
• Xavier's Zach Freemantle led the Musketeers with 25 points and eight rebounds.
• Joseph tied a career high in three pointers made, knocking down seven.
• Corey Floyd Jr recorded a career-best four steals.
• There were 10 lead changes and four ties in the game.
NOTES:
• The Friars are now 12-15 all-time versus Xavier.
• The Friars are now 2-11 all-time versus Xavier on the road.
UP NEXT:
• The Friars will enter the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 8 or No. 9 seed. Providence will face Butler (13-17, 6-13 BIG EAST), on Wednesday March 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.
• Tip-off is slated for 4:00 p.m. on Peacock.
-GO FRIARS!-
FIRST HALF:
• Corey Floyd Jr (Franklin, N.J.) kicked off the Friars' scoring action with a bucket in the lane. Joseph knocked down a three on the following possession that gave the Friars a 5-4 lead (17:21).
• Prior to the under-16 timeout, Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin, Nigeria) slammed an emphatic alley-oop dunk. The Friars led, 7-4 (15:05).
• Mela scored a contested layup that ended a 7-0 Xavier scoring run. Mela scored another bucket in the lane that cut the Musketeers' lead to 13-11 (12:04).
• Joseph knocked down his second three of the day and a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession that helped the Friars regain a 19-18 lead (9:03).
• Josph continued to fuel the Friar offense and knocked down his third three of the day as Xavier led 25-26 (6:44).
• Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.) knocked down a three for the Friars that ended a three-minute drought from the field as the team took a 32-31 lead (1:43).
• Xavier responded with back-to-back buckets that ended their own four-minute drought from the field. Xavier led 36-32 at the end of the first half.
• Joseph was the only Friar in double figures in the first half with 11 points and shooting a flawless 3-3 from behind the arc.
• Xavier's Ryan Conwell led all scorers with 13 first-half points.
SECOND HALF:
• Joseph opened the second half scoring with his fourth three of the day. Mela ensued with a pair of buckets in the paint that cut Xavier's lead to 42-41 (15:38).
• Out of the under-16 timeout Joseph knocked down another three for the Friars to tie the game at 44. Joseph led all scorers with 17 points (14:13).
• Xavier found their stride on offense as they knocked down four straight field goals and gained a 55-49 advantage leading into the under-12 media timeout (10:15).
• Joseph and Mela continued to pace the Friar offense, scoring on back-to-back possessions. Xavier led 60-53 (7:49).
• As Xavier continued to stay in command of the game, Erhunmwunse slammed a dunk that cut the Musketeers' lead to 65-58 (5:00).
• Joseph knocked down his seventh three-pointer of the day for the Friars. As PC kept closing the gap on Xavier's lead Floyd Jr., knocked down another three on the next possession. Xavier led 69-64 with 2:59 left to play.
• The Musketeers maintained control of the game in the closing minutes of the second half. Xavier held onto a 76-68 lead as time expired
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Two Friars finished in double figures: Joseph (27), Mela (12).
• Xavier's Zach Freemantle led the Musketeers with 25 points and eight rebounds.
• Joseph tied a career high in three pointers made, knocking down seven.
• Corey Floyd Jr recorded a career-best four steals.
• There were 10 lead changes and four ties in the game.
NOTES:
• The Friars are now 12-15 all-time versus Xavier.
• The Friars are now 2-11 all-time versus Xavier on the road.
UP NEXT:
• The Friars will enter the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 8 or No. 9 seed. Providence will face Butler (13-17, 6-13 BIG EAST), on Wednesday March 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.
• Tip-off is slated for 4:00 p.m. on Peacock.
-GO FRIARS!-
Team Stats
PROV
XU
FG%
.481
.448
3FG%
.500
.350
FT%
.364
.810
RB
30
35
TO
17
11
STL
6
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
27
FGM
9
3FGM
7
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F/G
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/ Men's Basketball2018-2019 Men's Basketball Highlight Video
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