Friars’ run in second half buries Black Bears

loading...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College men’s basketball team shot 59.4 percent from the field while holding the University of Maine to 31.4 percent in the second half to rally for a 94-79 victory Saturday at the Dunkin Donuts’ Center.

Herbert Hill led the Friars with a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. He went 12-for-16 from the field.

Providence improved to 7-2 while Maine fell to 4-5.

The Friars, who have won six of their last seven games, now hold an 8-1 advantage over Maine all-time.

Kevin Reed scored 21 for the Black Bears, who made a season-high 13 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half. Reed and Jon Sheets, who finished with 15 points, combined for eight 3-pointers in the first half.

Maine shot out to a 6-0 lead on two 3-pointers by Reed and surged ahead 35-26 on a 3-point play by Philippe Tchekane Bofia with 5:48 left in the first half.

Hill scored 15 in the first half and helped cut the deficit to 45-39 at halftime.

Providence then made four steals and forced three turnovers during an 18-2 run in the first five minutes of the second half. Curry’s layup with less than six minutes left gave the Friars their biggest lead at 86-67.

Reed was held to two second-half points.

The Friars hit 11 of 21 3-point attempts (52.4 percent). The Black Bears went 13-for-31 (41.9 percent), but Reed and Sheets combined to go 10-for-19.

Maine’s Chris Bruff scored 13 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds. Tchekane Bofia added 13 points and two blocks. Mark Socoby of Houlton chipped in with seven points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Sheets and Junior Bernal each had six assists.

Also scoring in double figures for Providence were Weyinmi Efejuku with 18, Sharaud Curry with 17, and Geoff McDermott with 16. McDermott also had 13 rebounds as Providence had a 48-35 edge on the boards.

FRIARS 94, BLACK BEARS 74

Maine (4-5) Providence (7-2)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Bruff 3 7 7 7 13 McDermtt 5 14 16

Bofia 4 17 3 3 13 Burch 2 5 8

Sheets 5 10 0 0 15 Hill 12 16 27

Bernal 2 9 2 3 6 Curry 5 12 17

Reed 8 15 0 0 21 Efejuku 6 9 3 18

Socoby 3 10 0 0 7 Williams 2 5

Cook 0 0 0 0 0 Barney 1 2 0 2

Ahvennmi 1 3 0 0 2 Kale 0 0 0

Cavangh 1 3 0 0 2 Hall 0 3 1

Totals 27 74 12 13 79 Totals 33 60 17 34 94

Maine 45 79

Providence 39 94

3-pt. goals – Maine (13-31): Sheets 5-9, Reed 5-10, Bofia 2-4, Socoby 1-6, Bruff 0-2; Providence (11-21): Efejuku 3-5, Curry 3-7, McDermott 2-3, Burch 2-4, Williams 1-2

Attendance: 7,042