“If” is only a two-letter word. But “if” Providence can find a way to combine a hot shooting hand with the defense that exterminated Richmond’s Spiders Saturday, you might find PC playing for all the marbles someday soon.
That would make “If” a mighty big word in the Friar vocabulary.
Providence combined its’ hot-shooting hand with a defense that never let Richmond get comfortable, or get the shots they were undoubtedly looking for with any regularity. The result was a dominating 79-51 win that vaults PC into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997, and the sixth time in program history.
The Friars came out firing and hit four of their first five shots from the Key Bank Center floor, and before the Spiders knew it PC was up 10-2 out of the gate. The lead grew steadily thanks to deadly outside shooting from Noah Horchler (16 points, four of six from three), A.J. Reeves and Justin Minaya early.
With 9:17 left in the first half, Providence’s lead was up to 16, at 30-14. They coasted to the halftime break still leading by 15 at 39-24.
To start the second half, the shots continued to rain from the Buffalo skies. Richmond’s star players, Jacob Gilyard and Tyler Burton, were the focal point of a Providence defense that held the two 11 points under their averages. Leading scorer Burton, son of former PC star Quinton Burton, was held to 1-8 shooting and five points, while Gilyard managed only 2-10 shooting (0-7 from three) for just four points.
In all, the PC defense held Richmond to a paltry 1-22 shooting the long ball. Tough to win games shooting like that, or when facing a defense like they did.
“I hope we continue to play that way,” PC head coach Ed Cooley said afterward. “If we do we’re going to be a tough out.”
The lead extended to as much as 30 points in the second half behind Horchler and Reeves three’s, with the final KO coming from a deep Reeves trey to make it 57-30. From that point forward, the party started in the stands for Friar fans, with a Sweet 16 trip to Chicago now on the schedule for next week.
Top-seeded Kansas awaits Friday, with the game time still to be determined.
This is the sixth time Providence has advanced to the regional round, with 2022 now joining 1997, 1987, 1974, 1973 and 1965 in the PC history books.
“If” they come close to repeating their two-game Buffalo performance, “if” might just grow up and turn into “when.”