PC subdues Holy Cross
PROVIDENCE — Thanks to contributions from a quartet of players who are near the top of Ed Cooley’s depth chart, Providence eliminated a lackluster and poorly executed first 20 minutes.
The fifth Friar who helped turn away upset-minded Holy Cross on Tuesday night certainly did his best to shed the “fifth Beatle” moniker that comes with running with Alpha Diallo, David Duke, Isaiah Jackson, and Nate Watson. Some may even venture to say that Maliek White was the difference maker in the Friars’ 70-61 victory over the Crusaders.
White didn’t produce the most points – Diallo led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds – with Watson (15 points) and Duke (10 points) also eclipsing double digits. A junior from Richmond, Va., White provided PC (2-1) with 25 turbo-charged minutes that featured several timely assists down the stretch to go along with eight points.
After a first week of the season that saw freshman A.J. Reeves light up the scoreboard en route to being named Big East Rookie of the Week, what White did against Holy Cross was remind everyone to not sleep on him. Last year, White missed time with a knee injury. Now he’s fully healthy and out to serve as a two-way threat.
“I like the way Maliek settled us down … five assists to one turnover,” said a clearly relieved Cooley as he sat at the podium with White to his left and Watson to his right. “Maliek has waited a long time. He’s patient. Makai (Ashton-Langford) got bumped in the head and he was a little woozy, but that’s why depth and versatility is so crucial.”
Added White, “My teammates gave me a ton of confidence.”
White’s ability to serve as a defensive disruptor and a deft playmaker on the offensive end was crucial on a night that saw the Crusaders stay close to the Friars for the vast majority of this one. Holy Cross led by four at recess, enjoyed a nine-point cushion during the opening minutes of the second half, and trailed by only three (60- 57) with 4:37 remaining. Jacob Grandison led the visitors with 17 points while Caleb Green added 13 points.
Unlike the previous two games, Cooley went with the same five-person unit for nearly five minutes during the second half. With White, Duke, Watson, Diallo, and Jackson on the floor, PC found harmony behind a zone defense that helped fuel a 20-2 run that helped turn around the game in no time flat. PC led by nine with 9:16 after trailing by the same amount seven minutes earlier.
“The zone gave us energy and kept us going,” said White.
Holy Cross started to find some of the holes in PC’s zone, hitting three straight 3-pointers to pull to within 57-54 with 6:54 left. Watson received a nice pass from White and the sophomore big man finished with a two-handed dunk that Holy Cross answered with a three-ball that made it a two-point game with 6:16 remaining.
The Friars led by nine (66-57) with 1:56 but Holy Cross cut it to five after a dunk by Grandison and two free throws by Austin Butler. White had a hand in the game-clinching play, feeding Duke for a bucket after Jackson forced one of the 14 turnovers committed by Holy Cross. PC was also turned over 14 times, though only four came in the second half.
It was a flow-free first half as far as the Friars were concerned. A 10-of-20 start from the floor was largely erased by seven turnovers that allowed the Crusaders to hang around despite their own ineptness on offense. Defensively, PC was in a gambling mood with switches coming on just about every screen. Eventually, Holy Cross solved the puzzle and create significantly better scoring chances – both of the backdoor variety and from long range – that helped sink the home team into an eightpoint hole with 3:04 remaining.
PC’s Duke was forced to sit the final few minutes of the opening half after picking up his third foul, though like a number of his teammates, he was hit hard by the turnover bug. The Friars pulled into the break with 10 giveaways and could have been looking at a greater deficit had White not buried a three with five seconds left.
“Uncharacteristic turnovers,” said Cooley, also noting that his team’s poor freethrow shooting (6-of-17).
Cooley bought an additional four minutes for Duke at the beginning of the second half. Once the first-year Friar returned, PC slapped Holy Cross with a zone defense that helped fuel an 11-2 run that tied the game at 48-48 with 12:38 remaining. The Crusaders had gone up by nine (46-37) before Duke checked back in and the tide finally started to turn in the Friars’ favor.
RIM RATTLERS: Still waiting. That was the email response from Putnam Science Academy head coach Tom Espinosa when asked Tuesday about the recruiting status of Akok Akok, one of the Friars’ targets from the Class of 2019. The early-signing period for high school basketball seniors opens Wednesday and it appears the 6-foot-9 Akok is still weighing his options. A four-star prospect, Akok took his official visit to PC the same weekend the school christened the Ruane Friar Development Center. … Former Friar big man Dajour Dickens was ruled eligible to play right away at his new school, Old Dominion. Listed as a sophomore, Dickens has appeared in both of the Monarchs’ games to date. He’s averaging four points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.5 minutes. … The Friars now head to Mohegan Sun for the next leg of the Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament. PC will face South Carolina on Saturday and either Michigan or George Washington on Sunday.