3 takeaways from Providence basketball's loss at No. 1 Connecticut on Wednesday night
STORRS, Conn. — It was going to require more for Providence to beat the nation’s No. 1 team.
Missed free throws and defensive rebounding were the areas that drew Kim English’s attention during his postgame analysis Wednesday night. Any consternation about the officiating at Gampel Pavilion was kept behind closed doors — if it was expressed at all.
The Friars fell at Connecticut, 74-65, in a game that lasted a shade more than 2½ hours. It was past midnight when the visitors trickled out of two small locker rooms just off their bench. They never allowed the Huskies to gain any measure of comfort in the second half, but an early 13-2 run ultimately gave the hosts the lead for good.
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“You eliminate losing by making free throws,” English said. “You eliminate losing by defensive rebounding. We have to get better at both of those things.”
Providence finished just 11-for-22 from the foul line and allowed 13 offensive rebounds over the final 20 minutes. UConn took advantage in both areas to claim the lead with 16:05 left and never surrendered it. The Friars felt within striking distance of a first victory in this building since March 2003, but the Huskies extended their winning streak to nine games and remained atop the Big East standings by two full games.
“I think we were prepared for this type of game,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Huge credit to Providence and to Kim and his staff. Defensively, they’ve been good all year.”
How did UConn ultimately hold off Providence in front of this overflow crowd of 10,299 fans? A few points to consider here.
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Connecticut limited Devin Carter
Devin Carter has routinely been the best player on the floor in games the Friars have contested this season. He didn’t hold that distinction on this night.
Stephon Castle caught the eye thanks to his latest superb performance in his debut season. The heralded freshman recruit notched a career-high 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, grabbed five rebounds and didn’t commit a turnover in 31 minutes. Castle also took a turn guarding Carter, and his perimeter length at 6 feet 6 inches helped cause 6-for-18 shooting and a 1-for-4 effort from 3-point range.
“His first-half defense on Carter was tremendous,” Hurley said. “He was just feeling great. He felt like he was involved in everything.”
Kim English opening statement here at Gampel. #pcbb pic.twitter.com/Oq8D9TiYCN
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) February 1, 2024
Castle was just 6-for-25 from 3-point range this season, but he tossed in an early pair from deep out of the break. The second snapped a 34-34 tie, and there was more to come. Castle finished through contact to give Rafael Castro a fourth personal foul and put back his own miss to make it a 44-36 game — English was left to call a timeout with 12:37 to play.
“We played hard, which is good — but so did they,” English said. “In this league, in college basketball, everyone plays hard. You have to play hard and execute.”
Huskies lived on the foul line
The Huskies attempted 36 free throws in the game, one off a season high. It’s the most against Providence to date in 2023-24.
Castro, Jayden Pierre and Josh Oduro all fouled out while Carter and Ticket Gaines each finished with four apiece. UConn left the door open by connecting at just 5-for-11 before the break, and it was a 29-28 edge to the locker room.
“It was a physical game,” English said. “Players are looking for consistency. They are searching for consistency in the game. Try to be even.
“But we will never talk about officiating. These guys, they try their best. I thought this crew was very honest in some of their explanations, and that’s all you can ask for. We just have to adapt to the way the game is being called.”
Carter’s 3-pointer from the right wing made it a 31-31 tie. Pierre, Oduro and Carter converted on just single free throws in each of their next trips to the line, and Castle wiped out that modest three-point lead with the first of his two jumpers from deep. Gaines netted only single free throws at the 11:58 and 10:48 marks — the Huskies were allowed to preserve a two-possession advantage in part thanks to those empty chances.
“We had to have our most disciplined game of the season to win,” English said. “And we didn’t — I have pictures in my mind of guys going for shot fakes. I have pictures in my mind of guys guarding with their arms instead of their chests.
“Making free throws is a part of discipline.”
Josh Oduro played just 23 minutes
Oduro picked up a third personal foul at the 6:38 mark of the opening half, and his absence hurt the Friars (14-7, 5-5 Big East) more than Donovan Clingan’s own time on the bench in foul trouble limited the Huskies (19-2, 9-1).
Oduro was eventually disqualified with 35 seconds left in a 68-63 game. He closed with 20 points and a plus-11 rating in limited time, a considerable improvement from his performances against two other standout big men in the league — Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner and St. John’s center Joel Soriano.
“Him catching and facing and playing off the dribble like a guard, it’s not the best of matchups for Donovan,” Hurley said.
Oduro combined for just 14 points in road losses against the Bluejays and Red Storm. He added nine rebounds, a blocked shot, a steal and didn’t commit a turnover in this one. Clingan was held to just seven points and three rebounds in his 15 minutes.
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PROVIDENCE (65): Oduro 8-14 3-6 20, Carter 6-18 7-11 20, Floyd 3-5 0-1 7, Gaines 2-8 2-5 6, Pierre 2-7 1-2 5, Barron 1-1 0-0 3, Dual 0-3 0-0 0, Castro 2-2 0-1 4. Totals: 24-58 13-26 65.
UCONN (74): Karaban 4-9 3-3 12, Clingan 3-5 1-2 7, Castle 7-14 4-7 20, Newton 3-9 10-16 16, Spencer 3-12 8-8 15, S.Johnson 1-2 0-0 2, Diarra 0-1 0-0 0, Stewart 1-3 0-0 2, Ball 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-55 26-36 74.
Halftime — UConn 29-28. 3-point goals — Providence 4-18 (Barron 1-1, Floyd 1-1, Oduro 1-3, Carter 1-4, Dual 0-2, Pierre 0-3, Gaines 0-4), UConn 4-23 (Castle 2-4, Karaban 1-5, Spencer 1-8, Diarra 0-1, Stewart 0-2, Newton 0-3). Fouled out — Oduro, Pierre, Castro, Castle. Rebounds — Providence 34 (Oduro, Carter 9), UConn 36 (Newton 11). Assists — Providence 9 (Carter 4), UConn 7 (Newton 3). Total fouls — Providence 28, UConn 18. A — 10,299 (10,167).
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: No. 1 Connecticut Huskies defeated Providence College, 74-65, Wednesday
