Friars rally, but Seton Hall delivers late gut punch in Providence
The Providence College men’s basketball team came up just short in its BIG EAST home opener on Friday night, falling 72-67 to Seton Hall at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. In a game that featured multiple momentum swings, late lead changes, and the intensity expected of a longtime conference rivalry, the Friars were unable to close over the final minutes as the Pirates escaped with the road win.
The loss dropped Providence to 7-6 overall and 0-2 in BIG EAST play, while Seton Hall improved to 11-1 and 1-0 in conference action. Freshman Stefan Vaaks continued his strong early-season play, leading the Friars with 15 points. Jaylin Sellers added 13, Jamier Jones chipped in 11, and Jason Edwards finished with 10 to give Providence four players in double figures.
“Tough game,” head coach Kim English said postgame. “Disappointed in the outcome. I thought we put ourselves in a hole in the onset of the game. I have to give the Pirates a ton of credit.”
Providence’s early struggles offensively were evident from the opening tip. Seton Hall scored first with a three-pointer on its opening possession before the Friars responded with a transition layup from Jones. After a slow start for both teams, Providence briefly grabbed momentum when Sellers knocked down a three to give the Friars a 6-4 lead at the first media timeout.
That advantage was short-lived. Seton Hall answered with an 8-0 run, forcing Providence to play catch-up for much of the first half. Ryan Mela halted the surge with a fast-break finish off a feed from Edwards, and Oswin Erhunmwunse provided a spark inside with free throws and a two-hand dunk that tied the game at 14 midway through the half.
Despite flashes of energy — including a thunderous alley-oop from Jones to Edwards that brought the crowd to its feet — Providence struggled to find consistent rhythm. Seton Hall built its lead behind steady execution and timely scoring from Tajuan Simpkins, who led all scorers with 14 first-half points. The Pirates took a 35-28 advantage into halftime, holding the Friars to their lowest-scoring half of the season.
Providence came out of the locker room with renewed urgency. On the opening possession of the second half, Edwards was fouled on a three-point attempt and calmly converted all three free throws to cut the deficit to four. Although Seton Hall briefly pushed the lead back to nine, the Friars responded with one of their best stretches of the night.
Vaaks ignited the run, hitting multiple three-pointers and attacking off the dribble. A 10-0 Providence surge midway through the half culminated with Mela finding Vaaks for his third three of the night, giving the Friars their first lead since the opening minutes at 46-45. The Amica Mutual Pavilion buzzed as Providence appeared to seize control.
The final 10 minutes, however, became a back-and-forth battle. Sellers and Jones repeatedly attacked the rim, earning trips to the free-throw line, while Edwards orchestrated the offense and dished out five assists. Providence took a 67-66 lead with just over a minute remaining after Sellers, who finished a perfect 8-for-8 at the line, knocked down two more free throws.
That would be the Friars’ final points of the night.
Seton Hall responded with poise, drilling a crucial three-pointer and following it with a midrange jumper to swing the game back in its favor. Providence, which went more than five minutes without a field goal earlier in the half, was unable to generate a quality look in the closing seconds. The Pirates closed out the 72-67 victory, silencing the home crowd and extending a recent trend of tightly contested games between the two programs.
Providence shot 39.6 percent from the field and just 21.7 percent from three-point range, numbers that ultimately proved costly despite a strong showing at the free-throw line. Seton Hall finished at 45.5 percent shooting and made key plays when it mattered most.
The Friars will look to regroup over the holiday break before returning to action in the New Year. Providence heads to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Jan. 3, to face St. John’s at noon on FOX — another opportunity to reset and search for its first BIG EAST win of the season.