PC Outlasts Texas Tech In BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle

Providence College Press Release

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College men’s basketball team defeated Texas Tech University, 72-68, on Wednesday, December 1 in the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. With the win, the Friars improve to 7-1 on the season. Graduate student Al Durham (Lilburn, Ga.) posted a game-high 23 points. Senior A.J. Reeves (Roxbury, Mass.) added 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Senior Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds as he shot 5-5 from the field.

“To our crowd, our student body, the energy that was in the building tonight, I can’t emphasize how grateful and appreciative we are as a basketball program,” Head Coach Ed Cooley said. “I thought their presence was felt when the ball went up.”

FIRST HALF:

• Noah Horchler (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) put the Friars on the board first from the free throw line.
• Texas Tech jumped out to an early 13-5 lead. The Friars missed nine of their first 10 attempts from the field to open the game.
• Croswell made an immediate impact off the bench with second-chance baskets on back-to-back possessions.
• “Croswell, to me, was the player of the game,” Cooley said. “He gave us all the energy in the first half.”
• At the 12:06 mark, Justin Minaya (Harrington Park, N.J.) stole the ball and finished the fastbreak dunk. The Friars now trailed by only two, 15-13.
• The Red Raiders responded with a 12-0 scoring run. The score was 27-13, Texas Tech’s largest lead of the game, heading into the 7:54 media timeout.
• Croswell broke the scoring drought in the paint at the 7:05 mark. Shortly after, Minaya knocked down the first three-pointer of the game for the Friars. The deficit was back to single digits for the Friars, 27-18.
• Reeves completed a four-point play with 0:57 remaining in the half.
• The Friars ended the half on a 15-3 scoring run.
• Texas Tech held a slim lead at halftime, 30-28.
• Providence shot 8-30 (26.7%) from the field, 2-13 (15.4%) from three, and 10-15 (66.7%) from the free throw line.
• Texas Tech shot 10-29 (34.5%) from the field, 3-11 (27.3%) from three, and 7-9 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

SECOND HALF:

• At the start of the half, Durham connected from three-point territory to give the Friars the lead.
• The Friars took a 7-0 scoring run into the first media timeout of the half. The Red Raiders had not scored in nearly four minutes. PC led 38-33.
• WIth 12:03 left to play, Alyn Breed (Powder Springs, Ga.) made a three-point basket. The Friars led by eight, 47-39.
• At the 8:04 mark, Texas Tech’s Kevin Obanor buried a three-pointer from the right corner. On the ensuing possession, Mylik Wilson forced a turnover and finished on the fastbreak for the Red Raiders. Texas Tech regained the lead, 53-51.
• With 5:32 remaining, Reeves knocked down a three-pointer off an assist from Minaya. The game was knotted at 56.
• Reeves made yet another basket from the three-point line at the 4:22 mark. The Friars had the lead once again, 61-58.
• With two minutes remaining, the game was all tied up at 65. Durham broke the tie with a mid-range jumper at the 1:48 mark.
• Texas Tech’s Terrance Shannon, Jr. knocked down a three-pointer with 1:00 left to play. The Friars led by one point, 69-68.
• Reeves extended the lead to 70-68 from the free throw line. The Friars drew an offensive foul on the other end.
• Breed sealed the game from the free throw line for the Friars in the final seconds.

NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS:

• Providence finished 19-51 (37.3%) from the field, 6-20 (30.0%) from three, and 28-38 (73.7%) from the free throw line.
• Texas Tech finished 22-58 (37.9%) from the field, 7-23 (30.4%) from three, and 17-24 (70.8%) from the free throw line.
• The Friars shot above 50% from three-point land in the second half, an improvement from less than 20% in the first half.
• The Red Raiders out-rebounded the Friars, 37-35. Each team had 17 offensive rebounds in the game.
• Three players finished in double-figures for the Friars, in Croswell, Durham, and Reeves.
• Croswell and Durham both registered Providence career highs in scoring, 11 and 23 points, respectively.
• Terrance Shannon, Jr. led the way for the Red Raiders with a team-high 17 points.
• The Friars improved to 3-0 on the season versus the Big 10 and Big 12 combined.
• The Friars improved to 2-0 all-time in the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle.
• With the win, the Friars now hold an 19-28 mark all-time versus teams from the Big 12.
• Attendance – 10,022

WHAT’S NEXT:

• The Friars will take on the University of Rhode Island on Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
• The Friars hold a 74-56 all-time record and a 39-23 home record against URI. In their last meeting, the Friars lost to the Rams, 75-61, on December 6, 2019 in Kingston, R.I.