“Overpowered: Men’s Basketball Struggles Against No. 8 Marquette, Ending in a 78-50 Defeat”

Gallery: (12-31-2024) MBB vs Marquette

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Providence College men’s basketball squad was defeated by the No. 8/8 Marquette Golden Eagles (12-2, 3-0 BIG EAST) on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. The Friars’ record now stands at 7-7 overall and 1-2 in BIG EAST competition. Wesley Cardet Jr. (Tallahassee, Fla.) was the sole Friar to end the game in double digits, scoring 11 points. 

FIRST HALF:

• Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) initiated the scoring with a pair of free throws, succeeded by two three-pointers from Bensley Joseph (Arlington, Mass.) and Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.). The Friars surged to an 8-2 advantage. 
• Marquette retaliated and took over with a scoring run of 26-2, comprising 21 points unanswered. The Golden Eagles gained a substantial lead – 28-10 – while the Friars experienced a scoring drought lasting seven minutes. 
• With 9:49 remaining, Cardet concluded the scoring dry spell with a three-pointer. 
• The Friars found themselves trailing 47-20 at halftime. 
• Marquette capitalized on 14 first half turnovers committed by the Friars, converting those into 20 points. 

SECOND HALF:

• Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.) struck a three-pointer to start the half. 
• With 13 minutes remaining, Cardet and Pierre made consecutive three-pointers. PC was down 56-32.
• Toward the end of the half, the Friars organized a 9-0 run, holding Marquette scoreless for an excess of three minutes. Corey Floyd Jr. (Franklin, N.J.) concluded the run with a powerful finish at the basket at the 5:21 mark. 
• Marquette finished the game with a 12-0 run in the closing minutes.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.) achieved a game-high and personal best of eight rebounds. 
• Providence outperformed Marquette in rebounding with a margin of two (39-37). 
• Pierre equaled a season-best of six assists in the matchup. 
• Four players reached double figures in scoring. Kam Jones led with a double-double, netting 18 points along with 10 assists. 

NOTES:

• Tonight’s matchup marked the inaugural meeting between PC and Marquette on New Year’s Eve.
• The Friars hold a 10-8 all-time record in games played on New Year’s Eve, with a 4-5 record in BIG EAST matches.
• Historically, the Friars have a record of 15-25 versus Marquette.
• This loss concluded a five-game home win streak against Marquette. It was Marquette’s first away victory against the Friars since 2018 and their initial road victory of the season. 
• Last season, the Friars were 1-2 against Marquette, with their only win occurring in Providence.
• In the last encounter between both teams, Marquette triumphed over PC, 79-68 in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2024.
• The Friars have recorded a 133-286 (.317) all-time record against top-25 teams, including a 0-2 record this season.

UP NEXT:

• The Friars will travel to face the No. 11/13 UConn Huskies on Sunday, Jan. 5 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. 
• The game is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. and will be broadcasted on NBC. 

-GO FRIARS!-