Friars run by the Greyhounds in exhibition opener

Saturday, October 27, 2012

John Rooke, GoLocalWorcester Sports Editor

If a first game is any indication, then what a difference a year makes.

Last season, in Ed Cooley's first year as head coach of the Providence Friars, PC opened up with an exhibition win over Assumption College...barely getting past the Greyhounds 64-51. Assumption led much of the way against a Friar team still not sure what was expected of them by their new coach...and the result was in doubt until the game's final minutes.

This year, with a year under their belts and plenty of experiences from which to learn...PC looked smooth, controlled and comfortable against an Assumption team that returned five of its top six scorers from last season (finishing 14-14, 11-11 in the NE-10)...and added a Division I transfer (Terrance Bobb-Jones) from Quinnipiac to their mix. And they still belted the Greyhounds 88-45 Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall in Providence.

The Friars started the first half with a 17-2 run that forced Assumption to take a timeout within the first four minutes. By halftime, Providence had three players in double-figures, and the team shot 73.1 percent on the floor and 80 percent from three-point range. The Friars led 51-24 at halftime.

Providence continued to pressure the Greyhounds in the second half and outscored Assumption 37-21 in the final 20 minutes of action, substituting liberally along the way even with a short bench. Only seven scholarship players are available to play for PC during the first semester, with the expectation that 6-9 Arizona transfer Sidiki Johnson will be eligible in December.

Junior Bryce Cotton (Tucson, AZ) led the Friars in scoring with 23 points and was 4-5 from behind the arc. Senior Vincent Council (Brooklyn, NY), sophomore LaDontae Henton (Lansing, MI) and junior Kadeem Batts (Powder Springs, GA) each recorded double-doubles. Council registered 11 points and added 12 assists, Henton had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Batts registered 18 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Josh Fortune (Hampton, VA) also scored in double-figures with 12 points.

Bobb-Jones led the Greyhounds with 19 points and 12 rebounds while 6-6 senior Ronson Quick added nine points. Assumption shot 33% from the floor for the game, and hit just two-for-17 from three point range (11.8%). PC also outrebounded AC 42-21, shooting 61% from the floor and hitting 5-11 from three. The only blemish came from the free-throw line, with the Friars hitting only 13-22 (59%).

The Friars will play next Saturday, November 3rd in a second exhibition game against Rhode Island College, while the Greyhounds will match up across town with Holy Cross - also next Saturday.