PC Edges St. John’s in Big East Battle - Moves to 19-2

Wednesday, February 02, 2022

GoLocalProv Sports Team

 

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A.J. Reeves against St. Johns PHOTO: Courtesy of PC

Providence College men's basketball team beat the St. John's Red Storm, 86-82, on Tuesday at Carnesecca Arena in Jamaica, N.Y.

It was an old school battle Big East battle,-- physical, technicals, six ties, and eleven lead changes.

With the win, the #15 Friars improved to 19-2 overall for the first time since the 1972-73 season and 9-1 in Big East play for the first time in program history.

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Junior Jared Bynum led the Friars in scoring with 19 points. And again, he hit the big shot. 

Trailing by two, Bynum knocked down yet another three-pointer at the 3:03 mark. The Friars regained the lead, 75-74. 

"I had the ball, and I felt like it was close enough for me, so I let it go," Bynum said. 

With under a minute to play, Durham was perfect on four consecutive trips to the free-throw line, ultimately sealing the game for the Friars.

Graduate student Nate Watson added 16 points and five rebounds. Graduate students Al Durham and Noah Horchler each finished with 14 points. Bynum and Horchler combined for eight of the Friars' nine three-point baskets. 

"The staff does a really good job preparing our guys for late-game situations," Head Coach Ed Cooley said. "It's also a credit to the players, as we're very mature on the floor." 

 

GAMES STORY

FIRST HALF:

- Horchler opened the game for the Friars with a three-point basket from the right wing. The Red Storm held a 6-5 lead at the first media timeout.
- Early in the game, the Friars were held scoreless for over three minutes. Horchler ended the drought with a layup at the 15:10 mark. 
- With less than 14 minutes left in the half, Bynum and the Red Storm's Stef Smith traded three-pointers. It remained a close game, as the Red Storm led 13-12. 
- Midway through the first half, the Friars went on a 10-2 scoring run to take the lead. With less than nine minutes left, PC led 22-15. 
- St. John's responded with their own scoring run, capped off by a triple from Dylan Addae-Wusu at the 6:01 mark. The game was knotted at 25. 
- In the final stretch of the half, the Friars went on a 9-2 run. Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) and A.J. Reeves (Roxbury, Mass.) provided the spark on offense. 
- Bynum was fouled on a three-point attempt in the final second of the half. He converted all three free throws to extend the lead. 
- Posh Alexander of the Red Storm was the only player to reach double figures in the first half. 
- The Friars held an eight-point advantage at halftime, 40-32. 
- Providence shot 13-26 (50.0%) from the field, 5-12 (41.7%) from three, and 9-11 (81.8%) from the free-throw line. 
- St. John's shot 14-39 (35.9%) from the field, 3-14 (21.4%) from three, and 1-5 (20.0%) from the free-throw line. 

 

SECOND HALF:

- To start the half, Reeves gave the Friars their first double-digit lead. The score was 42-32.
- St. John's fought back and tied the game at 47 with 15:32 remaining. Posh Alexander and Aaron Wheeler spearheaded the 15-5 run for the Red Storm.
- At the 13:49 mark, the Red Storm took the lead. The Friars then scored 10 unanswered points in less than two minutes, which included two more three-pointers from Horchler. PC led 59-51.
- With the Red Storm chipping away at the lead, Bynum beat the shot clock from three-point land at the 9:12 mark. The Friars had made seven of their last eight shots. 
- At the 7:27 media timeout, the Friars led by six points, 67-61. St. John's managed to overcome the deficit as the game progressed. 
 

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Providence finished 25-55 (45.5%) from the field, 9-21 (42.9%) from three, and 27-33 (81.8%) from the free-throw line. 
- St. John's finished 35-71 (49.3%) from the field, 8-24 (33.3%) from three, and 4-11 (36.4%) from the free-throw line. 
- The Red Storm held a narrow advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Friars by two, 37-35. 
- Four players finished in double-figures for the Friars, in Bynum (19), Watson (16), Durham (14), and Horchler (14).
- Horchler recorded game-highs of seven rebounds and four steals.
- Posh Alexander led all scorers with 29 points and also contributed a game-high 12 assists for the Red Storm. Aaron Wheeler chipped in with 16 points. 
- Tonight's game had 11 lead changes and was tied six times. 
- The Friars have won 14 of their last 15 games. 
- The Friars have been ranked for seven consecutive weeks after entering the polls on December 20, 2021. 

NEXT GAME:

The  Friars remain on the road to take on the Georgetown Hoyas on Sunday, Feb. 6 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m. on FS1. 
Georgetown holds a 47-31 all-time edge versus the Friars. In their first meeting of the season, the Friars defeated the Hoyas, 83-75, on January 20 in Providence. 

 

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