Friars battle back from a first-half deficit, survive some tight moments in second half to snap a 5-game losing skid.
PROVIDENCE – This result Friday night finally offered a chance for Providence to take a deep breath.
The Friars showed some grit on defense and the backboards, survived a couple tight moments down the stretch and snapped a five-game losing streak in Big East home games.
Creighton lost contact during an extended run midway through the second half and couldn’t complete its comeback attempt at the end. Stefan Vaaks finally sealed it on a pair of free throws with 3.6 seconds left, and Providence had itself a satisfying 93-88 victory.
The Bluejays shot just 32.6% over the final 26 minutes and endured a 30-15 pounding on the glass in the second half. The Friars used those defensive stops and a few second chances on offense to build a 14-point lead and persevere over the last 10:11.
“We had a good week of work after a couple of tough games,” Providence coach Kim English said. “I’m proud of our guys for responding. Really thankful and proud of our fans for continuing to show up.
“They aren’t giving up on us. That’s so appreciated as we’re recruiting kids and sending them updates of games. They’re not seeing an empty Amica Mutual Pavilion.”
The loyal crowd of 11,655 fans waited since last February to walk away with this feeling, a 75-62 thumping of Villanova on the night Billy Donovan saw his old No. 34 raised to the rafters. Providence was coming off an overtime crusher against Connecticut and one of its worst defensive performances of the season in an 88-82 defeat against Villanova. The Friars allowed their fewest points per possession since their 77-71 victory at St. John’s, ending a three-game skid.
“I wouldn’t use the word desperate,” Providence center Oswin Erhunmwunse said. “But we definitely needed a win to help us.”
English allowed the description of Providence’s mood to go that far, and it showed from the 6:00 mark of the first half. Creighton opened 13-for-23 from the field and enjoyed a 40-30 cushion before the Friars imposed their collective will. The Bluejays went just 14-for-43 from there and saw their lead all but vanish to a 46-45 count at the break.
“I think we were hungry for that win,” Vaaks said. “It feels really good.”
Providence made the deciding move between 3-pointers by Jasen Green and Blake Harper in the second half, holding Creighton without a field goal for 4:38. What was a 57-57 tie turned into a five-possession advantage, and the Friars were able to generate energy at both ends. Jaylin Sellers stuffed a two-hand dunk attempt by Kerem Konan in spectacular fashion and Erhunmwunse scored twice at the rim to cap the burst.
“When you see guys relying on what coach tells us to do, it gives our team more juice to keep going,” Erhunmwunse said. “When we do it, it works.”
Providence (9-9, 2-5 Big East) refused to yield in a pair of tight spots late – an 83-79 game after a Nik Graves three-point play with 1:02 left and a 91-88 advantage after a Josh Dix 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds to play. Jamier Jones soared down the lane on a press break to answer the first bucket and Corey Floyd Jr. inbounded cleanly to Vaaks after the second. The freshman guard closed out his team-high 24 points by completing a perfect 6-for-6 night at the line.
“That was my challenge to the guys – not to be cool,” English said. “Be desperate. It’s okay to be desperate.”
Jason Edwards (plantar fasciitis) missed a second straight game and Sellers managed just four points on 0-for-7 shooting. The Friars picked up the slack through Vaaks, 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds from Erhunmwunse and 18 points from Jones. Green led the Bluejays (11-8, 5-3) with a game-high 26 points on 8-for-10 shooting and 9-for-11 at the foul line.
“You pack your defense in a suitcase,” English said. “You have it every night. Rebounding, defense, communication, how hard you play – I think desperate is a great word.”
CREIGHTON (88): Jasen Green 8-10 9-11 26, Isaac Traudt 1-5 0-0 3, Austin Swartz 1-13 4-5 6, Josh Dix 6-12 2-2 17, Ty Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Nik Graves 5-10 1-2 13, Blake Harper 4-10 6-7 16, Fedor Zugic 2-4 2-2 7, Kerem Konan 0-2 0-0 0, Hudson Greer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-66 24-29.
PROVIDENCE (93): Jamier Jones 8-16 2-6 18, Duncan Powell 3-9 1-2 10, Jaylin Sellers 0-7 4-4 4, Stefan Vaaks 8-18 6-6 24, Ryan Mela 4-5 5-6 14, Corey Floyd Jr. 2-5 5-7 9, Oswin Erhunmwunse 6-9 2-4 14, Nilavan Daniels 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-69 25-35 93.
Halftime – C, 46-45. 3-point FG – C 10-30 (Green 1-1, Traudt 1-4, Swartz 0-8, Dix 3-6, Graves 2-5, Harper 2-4, Zugic 1-2), P 6-25 (Powell 3-8, Sellers 0-4, Vaaks 2-10, Mela 1-1, Floyd 0-2). Rebounds – C 37 (Harper 8), P 46 (Erhunmwunse 13). Assists – C 15 (Green 4, Harper 4), P 13 (Vaaks 7). Turnovers – C 10 (Swartz 4), P 10 (Floyd 4). Blocked shots – C 2 (Green 1, Konan 1), P 3 (Sellers 1, Floyd 1, Erhunmwunse 1). Steals – C 6 (Dix 2), P 7 (Jones 3). Attendance – 11,655.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence men's basketball beats Creighton 93-88
Category: General Sports
