Providence boarded a long cross-country flight Friday evening after an empty men’s basketball trip to San Diego.
The Friars were swept during their two-game stay at the Rady Children’s Invitational, and their second defeat came against the defending national champions.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 10 Florida used what turned out to be a deciding run early in the second half to reestablish a double-digit advantage. The Gators were never in any serious jeopardy over the final 14 minutes while coasting to a 90-78 win over Providence on Nov. 28.
Providence guard Stefan Vaaks (7) shoots a layup against the Florida Gators during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion on Nov. 28.Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland did all the scoring during a 10-0 burst that ripped open what was a 51-47 game. That backcourt duo combined for 37 points a day after a stunning loss against TCU at Jenny Craig Pavilion. The Friars were more competitive than in an opening thrashing against Wisconsin but still came up shy against another power conference opponent.
“I thought our guys had a much better effort getting to loose balls today,” Providence coach Kim English said. “I thought the compete level on defense was better today.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Obviously they hurt us on the glass – I can attribute some of those rebounds today to a size differential. I can’t say the same last night.”
The Gators feature a top-10 offensive rebounding team in the nation – they leaned on that strength in the second half after being kept relatively in check through the opening 20 minutes. Florida converted eight offensive boards into 15 second-chance points, including a Mitch Handlogten kick from the paint to Fland out high for an open 3-pointer. Lee’s following putback made it a 61-47 advantage with 14:09 left, and there was no storybook run coming from Providence.
“Truthfully, Wisconsin didn’t get offensive rebounds because of size differential,” English said. “I think Florida did today. I watch every offensive rebound in real time right after it happens.”
The Friars opted for a revamped starting lineup after that 104-83 loss to the Badgers. Jason Edwards and Oswin Erhunmwunse dropped to the bench in favor of Corey Floyd Jr. – who opened the first four games this season prior to an ankle injury – and Cole Hargrove. English said the decision was made for basketball reasons.
Friars guard Jason Edwards drives to the basket against Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee during the second half on Friday.“I wanted to really make sure we were focused on us – doing what was best for us,” English said. "Sorry that’s not the best answer, but that was my thought process.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEdwards and Erhunmwunse sat for a combined nine minutes before checking in, and Providence (4-4) eventually shaved down what was a 13-point deficit with 4:31 left in the first half. Ryan Mela hit Erhunmwunse with a lob pass for a dunk and connected on a pair of free throws after a defensive rebound to start the rally. The Friars faced a 45-39 deficit into the break and Mela was on his way to three team highs with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
“I thought he bounced back from a game yesterday where I told him he just didn’t look like himself,” English said. “He was letting external things get him out of his game.
“We had a long talk last night and I thought he was great today. He looked more like the Ryan Mela that we’re accustomed to seeing.”
The Gators (5-2) played without standout paint presence Alex Condon (head) and received a season-high 20 points from Lee, a decorated transfer from Princeton who entered just 7-for-42 from 3-point range. He enjoyed something of a breakout by closing 4-for-9 from deep, and Florida averaged 1.29 points per possession while controlling the tempo. Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu each added double-doubles in the frontcourt, combining for 29 points and 22 rebounds.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Today was tough,” English said. “It’s always tough. I’ve struggled in these tournaments in my head coaching career – mightily.
“The emotion of a disappointing loss, it’s really, really hard to focus back in the next day. The way we got outclassed especially – Wisconsin had 25 points on loose balls. Not second chance points – they scored 25 points on loose balls. That’s a really tough pill to swallow as the coach.
“The day was emotional. Obviously making changes to the lineup is emotional. But I thought our guys, for the most part, really responded and gave us a chance.”
Providence next takes the floor on Tuesday when it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 p.m.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPROVIDENCE (78): Jaylin Sellers 5-8 1-2 14, Stefan Vaaks 4-10 0-1 10, Ryan Mela 5-11 7-8 17, Cole Hargrove 1-2 0-0 2, Corey Floyd Jr. 5-10 2-3 12, Jason Edwards 4-13 4-4 13, Jaylen Harrell 0-1 0-0 0, Jamier Jones 0-1 5-6 5, Peteris Pinnis 1-1 1-2 3, Nilavan Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Oswin Erhunmwunse 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 26-60 20-26 78.
FLORIDA (90): Boogie Fland 6-18 1-2 17, Xaivian Lee 7-16 2-2 20, Micah Handlogten 0-1 0-0 0, Rueben Chinyelu 4-7 5-7 13, Thomas Haugh 3-9 9-11 16, Urban Klavzar 5-12 5-5 18, Viktor Mikic 0-0 0-0 0, Isaiah Brown 3-3 0-0 6. Totals 28-66 22-27 90.
Halftime – F, 45-39. 3-point FG – P 6-16 (Sellers 3-3, Vaaks 2-6, Mela 0-1, Floyd 0-2, Edwards 1-3, Harrell 0-1), F 12-33 (Fland 4-10, Lee 4-9, Handlogten 0-1, Haugh 1-5, Klavzar 3-8). Rebounds – P 37 (Mela 8), F 42 (Haugh 12). Assists – P 10 (Mela 3), F 18 (Haugh 5). Turnovers – P 10 (Vaaks 3), F 8 (Chinyelu 3). Blocked shots – P 0, F 4 (Fland 1, Handlogten 1, Chinyelu 1, Haugh 1). Steals – P 5 (Mela 2), F 2 (Haugh 1, Brown 1).
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: No. 10 Florida beats Providence 90-78 in San Diego tournament finale
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