PC Women’s Basketball Beats URI For Second Straight Year

Providence College outlasted Rhode Island, 48-45, on Dec. 4 at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. Graduate student Grace Efosa paced the Friars in scoring for the ninth-straight game, scoring a game-high 18 points. Providence evened its record at 5-5, while URI dropped to 4-6 on the year.

1ST QUARTER:
• The game was tied 8-8 at the first media timeout (4:39).
• Grace Efosa hit back-to-back threes to give the Friars a 14-10 lead with 1:06 to play.
• URI beat the buzzer to end the quarter on a driving lay-up by Sophia Vital and the Friars went into the break with a 14-12 lead.

2ND QUARTER:
• Brynn Farrell scored off an offensive put-back to start the scoring in the second (16-12).
• The Rams used a 12-1 scoring edge over the next seven minutes to take a 24-17 lead.
• Farrell hit a three-point bucket with a minute left on the clock to make it a 24-20 game at halftime.
• Efosa led the Friars with seven points in the first half.

3RD QUARTER:
• Providence outscored URI 8-6 during opening five minutes of the third and trailed 30-28 heading into the media (4:57).
• Efosa hit a three with 3:04 on the clock to claim a 31-30 lead.
• URI answered with a 5-0 spurt to take a 35-31 edge, but MacKayla Scarlett hi the Friars’ fifth three of the game to cut the deficit to one (35-34).
• Efosa beat the buzzer with a strong drive to the hoop, helping Providence to regain the lead heading into the final quarter (36-35).

4TH QUARTER:
• Orlagh Gormley opened the frame with her first points of the game on a triple (39-35).
• Providence fell into a three-minute scoring drought before Efosa converted a lay-in with 6:44 on the clock (41-38).
• URI drilled a three on its next possession, but the Friars responded with a 5-0 run to take their largest lead of the game (46-40) with 3:56 on the clock.
• The Rams were scoreless for over six minutes before hitting a three with 10.9-seconds remaining to creep within three (46-43).
• Providence called timeout to advance the ball and URI was forced to foul three times before sending Efosa to the line with 6.8-seconds remaining.
• Efosa made both free throws to put make it a two-possession game (48-43).
• URI scored on its final possession to make the final 48-45.

NOTES / HIGHLIGHTS:
• Efosa scored a game-high 18 points on 6-12 shooting, including 3-3 shooting beyond the arc.
• Farrell finished with eight points and five boards.
• Olivia Olsen grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and chipped in six points.
• Gormley scored all five of her points in the decisive fourth quarter and she finished the game with three rebounds and two assists.
• The Friars have won two-straight games vs. the Rams, giving second-year Head Coach a 2-0 record in the rivalry. The two wins have been decided by a combined total of three points.

WHAT’S NEXT:
• The Friars return to action on Saturday, Dec. 7 against Brown. The game will be played at Alumni Hall/Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I. and is scheduled to tip at 2:00 p.m.