PC vs. DePaul Box Score in PDF Format

The Providence College men's basketball team (10-4, 2-0) defeated DePaul University (8-7, 0-2) by a score of 62-54 on Saturday, January 3 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Senior guard Weyinmi Efejuku (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) led the Friars with 18 points, including four 3-pointers.

The win moved the Friars to 2-0 in the BIG EAST for the first time since the 2006-07 season. It is the third time since 2002-03 that PC has begun league play at 2-0.

The Friars jumped out to a 12-4 start behind two early 3-pointers from Efejuku. Junior guard Sharaud Curry (Gainesville, Ga.) added a couple of deep 3-pointers and PC took an 18-10 lead at the 11:15 mark of the first half. Curry continued his hot start, with 11 points in the game's first 13 minutes and the Friars led 23-14 with 7:28 to go in the half.

A fast break alley-oop from sophomore guard Marshon Brooks (Stone Mountain, Ga.) to Efejuku moved Providence ahead 28-17 at the 4:13 mark of the first half, but DePaul used an 11-6 run to cut the Friars lead to 34-28 at intermission.

PC shot 48.3 percent (14-of-29) in the first half and limited the Blue Demons to only 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from the field. Curry paced the Friars with 11 points and Efejuku added 10 in the stanza.

The teams traded baskets in the second half's first eight minutes and the Friars led 44-38 with 12:23 to go in the game. DePaul moved within one at 44-43 on a Mac Koshwal jumper but senior forward Geoff McDermott (New Rochelle, N.Y.) responded with a straightaway 3-pointer to make the score 47-43 at the 9:48 mark of the second half.

A Curry 15-footer moved the Friars ahead 51-45 and a Jeff Xavier 3-pointer pushed the PC lead to 10 with 5:29 to play in the game.

DePaul would not go away and moved to within four at 55-51 with 2:57 to go. Efejuku hit a big 3-pointer to push the Providence lead back to 58-51 but a trifecta by Will Walker moved the Blue Demons back within four. Xavier found Efejuku off the inbounds pass for a wide-open layup to seal the game for the Friars with 44 seconds remaining.

Walker paced DePaul with 14 points. Providence held sophomore forward Mac Koshwal, who averaged 14.8 points per game, to a season-low seven points. The Blue Demons shot only 35.1 percent (20-of-57) for the game, including a meager 15.8 percent (3-of-19) from 3-point territory. It marked the second-straight game in which the Friars held their opponent under 40-percent from the floor. PC held both St. John's and DePaul to 54 points which is the lowest output for a PC opponent this year.

McDermott chipped in his fourth double-double of the season and 26th of his career with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Curry added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists.

The Friars hit the road for their first two BIG EAST away games, starting with Cincinnati on Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m. PC travels to the nation's capital on Saturday, January 10 for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with the Georgetown Hoyas.