Providence College Men's Basketball Falls To South Florida, 81-78, On the Road

Freshman LaDontae Henton scored a game and career-high 33 points.

Jan. 29, 2012

TAMPA, FLA. - The Providence College men's basketball team (12-10, 1-8 BIG EAST) fell to the South Florida Bulls (13-9, 6-3 BIG EAST) by the score of 81-78, on Sunday, January 29 in Tampa, Fla. Despite shooting 53.8-percent from behind the arc, 79.2-percent from the free throw line and 45.6-percent from the field, Providence could not seal the victory.

Freshman LaDontae Henton (Lansing, Mich.) led all players in scoring with a career-high 33 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Bryce Cotton (Tucson, Ariz.) registered 16 points and five rebounds while junior guard Vincent Council (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 10 points and a game-high seven assists.

Henton's 33 points broke the record for most points in a game by a freshman at Providence. Prior to the game Ryan Gomes held the record as he had 31 points as a freshman in a game at Miami.

In the second half, the Friars came out strong going on a 12-6 run to lead 51-45 with 13:08 on the clock. With 12:49 to play the Bulls went on a 16-1 run to gain a nine point edge, 63-54, and they would not look back. In the final minutes Providence would cut the South Florida lead to as few as two points but it was not enough as the Bulls went on to win 81-78.

Four Bulls scored in double-digits with Hugh Robertson and Anthony Collins adding 15 points apiece. Ron Anderson Jr. added 14 points and Augustus Gilchrist scored 11 points. South Florida shot 51.8-percent from the field.

Early in the first half, the Bulls lead by five points (12-7) with 16:27 to play. The Friars responded with a 23-17 run capped off by a three-point play from Henton to take the lead 30-29 with 6:29 on the clock. The teams traded baskets, with Providence leading by as many as seven points in the remaining minutes, to end the half with 39 points apiece. Henton scored a career-high 24 points in the half, including four three-pointers.

The Friars are back in action when they host Rutgers on Wednesday, February 1, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The game will air live on ESPNU with the opening tip set for 7:00 p.m.

GO FRIARS