Falling short
Up against the defending national champs, the PC basketball fell to 0-2 in the Big East with a loss to Villanova.
PROVIDENCE – For the longest time Saturday afternoon, it appeared Villanova would enjoy a walk in the park at Providence’s expense.
What started out as a bludgeoning eventually turned into a seat squirmier. A laugher became a rock fight. The knockout punch remained in the Wildcats’ gym bag as the sellout crowd of 12,410 finally has legit- imate reasons to cheer for the home team instead of booing, a sound that filled the Dunkin’ Donuts Center during the closing stages of a rather forgettable first half for the Friars.
In the end, PC paid dearly for the sins that ranged from the offense fizzling to the defense once again proving much too inviting from beyond the three-point arc. The comeback bid stopped short as Villanova survived, 65-59. The loss drops the Friars to 0-2 in Big East play with both defeats the result of failing to protect home-court. Ed Cooley’s crew is now off until next Saturday when they visit Georgetown.
“Very disappointed we lost our first two games in our building. Very disturbing,” said Cooley. “At the end of the day, I have to do a better job with this group and I hold myself accountable. On to the next game and we’ll try our best when we play Georgetown. We’ll have an opportunity again.”
As much as Cooley heaped praise on his team after trailing by 21 points in the first half and found itself down 20 with 12 minutes remaining, he flat-out declared the game was lost during the opening 20 minutes. Villanova (11-4, 2-0 Big East) marched to a completely different beat than PC, surging behind three 3-pointers from Phil Booth that helped the defending national champions surge out to a 9-0 lead.
It only got worse for the Friars before things finally started to turn for the better, but you can only go to the well so many times. Eventually, the bucket is going to run dry. Shooting 29.6 percent and giving up 57.7 percent – numbers PC turned in after 20 minutes – is going to catch up with you.
Given the circumstances, it was a miracle that PC trailed by four (63-59) after a Makai Ashton-Langford three with 55.8 seconds left. The chance to draw even closer was at hand after Villanova’s offense remained in the deep freezer with a shot-clock violation with 24.9 seconds on the clock. The Wildcats clogged up the driving lanes, leaving Ashton-Langford to dribble at the top of the key with precious time melting away.
By the time Cooley realized what was going on, there was less than 10 seconds remaining. A timeout was finally called with 7.9 seconds left. It was a critical error that brought back memories of how last month’s onepoint loss to UMass played out.
“I knew time was running down,” said Ashton-Langford.
Before the PC sophomore, who poured in a career-best 20 points, could continue, Cooley stepped in.
“I should have called a timeout. When I saw that he thinking of what to do, that’s on me. That’s not on Makai,” said Cooley. “I should have had someone on the floor call a timeout with probably 12 seconds left.”
It was really go time after the Friars let 17 precious seconds slip through their fingers. Isaiah Jackson missed a three coming out of the timeout and Villanova’s Booth sealed the deal with free throws with two seconds left. Booth’s hot start paved the way for a game-high 23 points. The Wildcats also received 13 points and 14 rebounds from Eric Paschall. Portsmouth, R.I. native Cole Swider supplied 10 points off the bench, shooting 4-of-4 from the floor.
After Ashton-Langford, the scoring fell off dramatically for the Friars. Alpha Diallo, the leading scorer on the season, managed just 10 points on four field goals. Isaiah Jackson had 11 points but was 3-of-15 from the field.
Villanova Jay Wright thought his team was a bit fortunate to be up by a lengthy margin (43-25) at the half after the Friars missed 10 free throws and went 1-for-11 from three.
“It wasn’t anything we were doing,” said Wright.
Cooley opted to mix things up at the start of the second half. He sat four of his five starters – David Duke, Maliek White, Jimmy Nichols, and Nate Watson. The quartet was replaced by Jackson, Ashton-Langford, Kalif Young, and Drew Edwards. The group responded defensively but got off to a 1-for12 start from the floor.
“I wanted to play the toughest dudes in the locker room. I don’t give a damn what position you play. If you can’t be tough and prideful and you’re going to be out there and be soft, you’re not going to play at Providence College,” said Cooley, harsh words that spoke to a spark he sought to ignite. “If you can’t sacrifice yourself for your team, you might as well transfer. That’s not working here.”
Despite the long odds, the Friars kept coming. Villanova left the door open by going 7:38 without a point. PC responded with 16 straight points that was by and large due to Ashton-Langford. Whether it was driving or hitting from the outside, he nearly single-handily rescued the Friars.
“I thought he played his best college game. He really stepped up,” said Cooley about Ashton-Langford, who was 4-of-4 from three.
After seeing his team get punched – Villanova started off 9-of-15 from the field – Cooley can hang his hat on the resolve the Friars showed. Still, 0-2 in league play with both losses coming before the home crowd is a tough pill to swallow.
“I know it feels like the end of the world. Losing is unacceptable At the same time, we need to have an understanding of process and development,” said Cooley. “As coaches, we have to be the adults and understand that our players gave it up. We may have not come out strong but we finished strong. That’s what I’m going to go off.”
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RIM RATTLERS: The Friars started 0-2 in the Big East during the 2013-14 and 2016-17 seasons and rebounded to make the NCAA Tournament each time. … The last time the Friars started 0-2 in league play with both games at The Dunk was Cooley’s second year at PC in 201213. … Freshman A.J. Reeves missed his fifth straight game. He’ll have his injured foot re-evaluated on Monday. … Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge took in Saturday’s game.