Kim English Era Begins With Win Over Columbia For PC Friars Monday

Providence College Press Release

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College men’s basketball team defeated Columbia, 78-59, on Monday, November 6 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. With the win, the Friars improved to 1-0 this season and 86-11 all-time in season openers. Junior Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) led the way for the Friars with a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Junior Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.), graduate student Ticket Gaines (Buffalo, N.Y.) and redshirt-sophomore Rafael Castro (Dover, N.J.) also added double digits, scoring 13, 12 and 13 points, respectively.

FIRST HALF:

•Carter scored the opening basket for the Friars on a tip-in layup.

•Garwey Dual (Houston, Texas) buried a three-pointer to give the Friars a 7-5 lead heading into the first media timeout.

•The Friars went on a two-minute, 5-0 scoring run to extend their lead to four, 14-10 , with 11:55 left in the half.

•At the 8:06 mark, Carter found a wide-open Rich Barron (Chicago, Ill.) under the basket to give the Friars their biggest lead of the half, 23-16.

•With 4:52 left in the half, the Friars gained a double-digit lead, 33-21, led by Gaines and Hopkins knocking down free-throws.

•Providence led 33-21 at the final media timeout. Gaines led all scorers with 10 points and seven rebounds.

•At the 3:11 mark, Carter found Castro in the paint for an emphatic dunk. The Friars led 36-23.

•The Friars held a 42-27 lead at halftime. Carter and Gaines each entered double digits in the scoring column with 10 points.

•Providence shot 15-29 (51.7%) from the field, 4-14 (28.6%) from three and 8-11 (72.7%) from the free throw line.

•Columbia shot 10-35 (28.6%) from the field, 3-13 (23.1%) from three and 4-5 (80.0%) from the free throw line.

SECOND HALF:

•Hopkins knocked down a pair of free throws to get the Friars on the board in the second half, 44-29.

•At the 16:34 mark, Josh Oduro (Gainesville, Va.) converted on a layup in the paint to extend the Friars lead to 17, 48-31.

•With 15:31 left, Jayden Pierre (Elizabeth, N.J.) made a steal and slammed it home to give Providence a 53-32 edge.

•The Friars completed a 13-3 scoring run with 11 minutes to play leading the Lions by 19, 55-34.

•With 7:07 remaining, Castro added to the Friars lead by converting on a lay-up, 66-43.

•Providence held a 22-point lead heading into the final media timeout, 72-50.

NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS:

•Providence finished 29-59 (49.2%) from the field, 6-23 (26.1%) from three and 14-19 (73.7%) from the free throw line.

•Columbia finished 21-71 (29.6%) from the field, 6-26 (23.1%) from three and 11-13 (84.6%) from the free throw line.

•Four players finished in double figures for the Friars, in Bryce Hopkins, Ticket Gaines, Devin Carter and Rafael Castro.

•Carter registered a game-high four assists and added three steals.

•Hopkins snagged a game-high 10rebounds.

•Blair Thompson led the way for the Lions with 15 points.

•Attendance – 11,069

WHAT’S NEXT:

•The Friars will host Milwaukee on Saturday, November 11 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. on FS1.