Feb. 6, 2010

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College men's basketball team (12-11, 4-7 BIG EAST) was defeated by Marquette University (15-8, 6-5 BIG EAST) by a score of 82-79 on Saturday, Feb. 6 before a crowd of 12,061 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Trailing 80-73 with 1:19 to play, the Friars scored six points over the next 24 seconds to move within one point (80-79) of Marquette, but PC could not score for the remainder of the game.

Sophomore Jamine Peterson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) paced the Friars with his BIG EAST-leading 13th double-double, recording 28 points and 11 rebounds. It also marked Peterson's 11th 20-point effort of the year. Senior guard Sharaud Curry (Gainesville, Ga.) added 23 points for PC, passing Jim Hadnot '62 to move into 13th place on the Friars' all-time scoring list with 1,481 career points. Freshman forward/center Bilal Dixon (Jersey City, N.J.) also posted his third double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for Providence.

After the two teams played to an early 6-6 draw, the Friars rattled off seven-consecutive points to take a 13-6 lead. A solid post-up move and finish by Dixon extended the PC advantage to 18-10 at the 13:43 mark of the first half and a fast-break lay-in by Peterson moved the Friars ahead by 10 at 24-14. Marquette rallied back with a 7-0 run to cut the PC lead back to three at 24-21, but the Golden Eagles could not move any closer over the next five minutes. With 3:57 to go in the half, junior guard/forward Kyle Wright (Hartford, Conn.) found Peterson under the hoop for a strong finish. Peterson drew a foul on the sequence and completed the 3-point play to build the Friar lead back up to six at 35-29. After the teams traded baskets over the last four minutes of the period, PC entered intermission holding a 40-36 edge.

The Friars shot 50.0 percent (18-36) in the stanza and held a 17-14 edge on the glass. Peterson led PC with 13 first-half points.

Peterson picked up where he left off in the second half, scoring the Friars first seven points to help push the PC lead to eight at 47-39. Marquette answered back soon after, as a lay-in by Dwight Buycks moved the Golden Eagles back within two at 53-51 and a 3-point play by David Cubillan gave Marquette its first lead (57-56) since the 19:22 point of the first half. With the Golden Eagles holding a 64-61 edge, the Friars scored the next four points to retake the lead (65-64). A put-back dunk by Lazar Hayward moved the Golden Eagles back ahead, 71-68, and a 3-pointer by Hayward with 4:08 left built the Marquette lead to five at 75-70. Jimmy Butler added a triple with 2:02 remaining to give the Golden Eagles an eight-point lead (78-70).

With Marquette holding an 80-74 lead, the Friars began their comeback. Curry nailed a 3-pointer for the Friars and freshman guard Vincent Council (Brooklyn, N.Y.) stole the ensuing inbounds pass. Council then dished to Peterson, who layed the ball in the basket to move PC back within one at 80-79 with 57 seconds to play. The basket completed a span of six-straight points by PC in only 24 seconds of action.

Excellent Friar defense forced a five-seconds call on the next Marquette inbounds pass, but PC could not convert on the ensuing possession. After Lazar Hayward made two free throws to make the score 82-79, the Friars failed to score on their last possession and Marquette held on for the win.

PC outscored Marquette in the paint, 48-32, for the game and out-rebounded the Golden Eagles, 39-29. Despite the strong effort around the basket, the Friars could not contain Marquette's penetration down the stretch, as the Golden Eagles continued to find the open man. Marquette shot 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from beyond the arc in the second half and made a number of clutch 3-pointers down the stretch.

Council had another strong effort from the point for the Friars, dishing out seven assists to go along with his nine points. The 6-2 guard now has 101 assists on the year, becoming the first Friar freshman to dish out 100 assists since Donnie McGrath had 138 in the 2002-03 season.

Hayward led the Golden Eagles with 28 points and nine rebounds, and knocked down five 3-pointers in the game.

The Friars return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 9 with a 7:00 p.m. matchup against No. 7/8 Georgetown at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2.