Friars Win: Providence 72, (6) Marquette 57

Line Score

Stat Leaders

Game Recap

Providence opened Big East play with an impressive win against the 6th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles behind 22 points from Devin Carter, 18 points from Ticket Gaines and a defensive effort that was strangling. Tyler Kolek led Marquette is points, rebounds and assists but didn’t get a lot of help from his friends in his likely final college game in his home state of Rhode Island. Kam Jones added 13 points but scored all of that in the first half and Oso Ighodaro was the only other double figure scorer for Marquette with 11 points on 2/6 shooting with 7/8 at the free throw line accounting for the bulk of the big man’s scoring. Marquette hadn’t scored less than 71 points all season and the last time they were held under 60 points in a league game was January 19, 2022 when they won, 57-54, at Villanova.

Had Providence shot the ball better at the free throw line this game would have been less in doubt sooner and the margin of victory likely higher. The Friars were 17/28 at the line for the game and just 7/14 in the second half, including missing all 3 front ends of their 1 and 1’s after Marquette team fouls 7, 8 and 9.

A player that you might not suspect had as big of an impact as he did on the game if you just looked at the box score is freshman guard Garwey Dual. Dual did lead the Friars with 7 assists — 17 assists on 22 made field goals is very good — but he didn’t score in 23 minutes and grabbed 3 rebounds. Beyond the assists, Dual’s impact loomed large on both ends of the court. I would go so far as to say this was his best collegiate game ever and certainly much more like the player we saw prior to being suspended at the end of the Kansas State game for a fighting ejection than the player we saw after that prior to tonight.

No look? DIME AND SLAM! @PCFriarsMBB WOW!!! pic.twitter.com/mCrZIOEl5m

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 20, 2023

Dual’s length caused all kinds of problems for Marquette and he was a calming force with the ball in his hands helping break the press and initiate offense. Zero turnovers. That 7 to 0 is a very good ratio of assists to turnovers and something Nate Tomlinson mentioned postgame with John Rooke and Joe Hassett. The other stat Tomlinson mentioned as something he always looks for in his point guards is the plus/minus. Dual’s tonight? +25.

Marquette managed 32% shooting from the field and just 25% in the second half. The Golden Eagles were also held to just 7 assists on their 18 made field goals. The Friars made a big move in Kenpom moving up to 39th in adjusted efficiency margin on the strength of their defensive efficiency now being 8th-best in the country. Providence’s adjusted efficiency margin ranked 52nd before any games were played on Tuesday and their defensive efficiency jumped all the way from 21st to 8th.

Bryce Hopkins continues to mightily struggle shooting the ball anywhere that isn’t near the rim. He finished with 11 points on 3/10 from the field and 5/10 at the free throw line while adding 9 rebounds to be 1 board shy of his 5th double-double of the season. On the positive side, Rafael Castro came off the bench for 6 very solid minutes when Josh Oduro got into foul trouble a couple of times in this game.

Next Game

Providence gets back to action on this homestand when Butler comes to Friartown for a 12pm ET tip on FS1 from the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Bulldogs won their Big East opener earlier on Tuesday against Georgetown, 74-64, at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Marquette Box Score

Providence Box Score

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Mike Hopkins

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