Desperate Friars rise up in D.C.

Hold off Georgetown for critical 74-69 win

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Providence men’s basketball team defeated Georgetown, 74-69, on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena. The victory improved the Friars to 1811 overall and 9-7 in league play. It marks the sixth straight season the Friars have won at least nine league games, which is a program record.

The victory also gave the Friars a season sweep of the Hoyas, who have now lost eight straight to PC.

“We were desperate to win coming off two tough losses,” said PC head coach Ed Cooley.

Senior Kyron Cartwright finished with 16 points and nine assists, while senior Rodney Bullock scored 19 points to go with eight rebounds. Sophomore Alpha Diallo poured in 14 points and dished out nine assists.

The Friars led 68-62 with 4:55 left, but a Jagan Mosley bucket and a Marcus Derrickson three-pointer pulled the Hoyas within one.

Two free throws from Cartwright increased Providence’s advantage back up to three, but a Derrickson layup off a feed from Mosley left the Friars lead at just one, 70-69, with 1:11 to play.

That was when Diallo came through with the biggest play of the game.

Standing on the left wing, Diallo shot faked, which caused his defender to run by him. Now with an open lane, Diallo drove to the hoop and finished through contact to give the Friars a 7269 lead.

Back the other way, Bullock corralled a long rebound before knocking down two at the free throw line to seal the Friars win.

Providence trailed 40-35 to begin the second half, but back-to-back baskets by senior Jalen Lindsey trimmed the deficit to one.

The Hoyas increased its lead back up to five on three free throws from Jonathan Mulmore, but Cartwright came right back with back-to-back threes from Cartwright to go in front 47-46.

Moments later, Bullock capped off the Friars’ 10-0 run knocking down a jumper off a Diallo feed to put Providence up 51-46 at the under 12 media timeout.

Jamorko Pickett tried to cool the Friars’ off with a three-pointer that brought Georgetown back within two.

Providence, however, remained sizzling from the field. Bullock splashed a three-pointer and Cartwright finished a strong drive to the basket.

Bullock then gave Providence a double-digit lead with 9:05 to go as Cartwright found him transition for a triple.

PC finished the game 10-19 from behind the three point arc.

The Friars' lead got up to 11, 64-53, but a 9-2 Hoyas run capped off a Govan three-pointer cut Providence’s advantage to 66-62 with 5:25 to play.

Freshman Nate Watson had six early points, but eight points from Derrickson helped Georgetown jump out to an early 16-13 lead.

The Hoyas upped their lead to 2315, but a Cartwright bank shot off the glass and a Bullock transition threepointer highlighted an 8-0 run that tied the game up at 23 with 7:56 left in the half.

Georgetown answered by hitting 5 of its next 7 from the field to reclaim a 32-25 lead.

Three-pointers from Bullock and Diallo around an Isaiah Jackson layup pulled the Friars back within one but a Jamorko Pickett dunk and a basket at the buzzer by Govan put the Hoyas up 40-35 at the half.

Bullock led the Friars with nine first half points. Govan and Derrickson each had a double-double for Georgetown (15-12, 5-11). Govan had 20 points and 11 rebounds to surpass 1,000 points in his career and Derrickson added 11 points and 15 boards.

Next up the Friars travel to nationally-ranked Xavier on Wednesday,