Providence basketball to renew its rivalry with Brown University
Next season will see a pair of the state’s men’s basketball teams renew their dormant rivalry.
A source confirmed to The Journal that Providence will host Brown at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars and Bears will meet for the first time since the 2017-18 season and for the 125th time overall.
CBS Sports reported the game will be played on Dec. 10. It will be the first encounter between the two programs since Providence scored a 77-72 overtime victory at the former Dunkin’ Donuts Center in December 2017. Rodney Bullock led five players in double figures with 21 points and added nine rebounds as Brown came up just shy of finishing a road upset.
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Former Friars coach Ed Cooley cited his friendship with Bears coach Mike Martin as the primary reason for discontinuing the series. Limited nonconference dates were also a contributing factor — Providence is involved with a pair of schedule challenges against the Big 12 and Big 10, along with annually attempting to play in an exempt event on a neutral floor like the Hall of Fame Tip-Off.
The Friars eased to a 78-64 home win against Columbia in its last Ivy League matchup early in the 2022-23 season. Ed Croswell and Jayden Pierre led a balanced attack with 13 points apiece while Bryce Hopkins chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and six assists. Providence dropped an 81-75 clanger against Penn in its previous matchup against the conference which came early in the 2019-20 season.
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Brown’s last encounter with a Big East team came against Creighton at the 2021-22 Paradise Jam. The Bluejays eased past the Bears, 78-57, in the tournament opener. Brown dropped an 82-71 decision at St. John’s early in 2019-20 which was its last true road game against the league.
Box office appeal certainly could have played a role in past decisions. The Friars drew just 6,087 fans for their last home date with the Bears. That was in the midst of five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Providence has no such concerns now, having sold its full allotment of season tickets six months before opening night in November.
The other unspoken truth about this game: the Friars have had their hands uncomfortably full with Brown on multiple occasions under Martin. Providence is 11-4 against the Bears in the last 15 meetings compared to 12-3 against the University of Rhode Island, and three of those defeats have come at home. The Friars took a lone trip to Pizzitola Center under Cooley and were stunned in a 69-68 classic in 2012-13, with Tucker Halpern’s 28 points and his team’s 13-for-27 shooting from 3-point range trumping LaDontae Henton’s game-high 37 points.
Providence is committed to hosting the Rams and will visit Oklahoma on Dec. 5 as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle. The Friars are 4-2 against Big 12 opponents over the last five years, including road wins at Texas and TCU. Providence is still awaiting its potential Big 10 opponent in the Gavitt Games.
PC and Brown will both be in the Bahamas as part of the Thanksgiving holiday period. The Friars are grouped with Miami, Kansas State and Georgia as part of the Baha Mar Bahamas Hoop Championship from Nov. 17-19. The Bears are listed with Delaware, George Washington, Illinois-Chicago, Kansas City, Middle Tennessee, Ohio and an eighth team to be determined for the Baha Mar Nassau Hoops Championship from Nov. 24-26.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: PC to play Brown in men's basketball on Dec. 10
