22 games into their 2023-24 campaign, the Providence Friars nearly looked like a complete team that was trending upward. Providence, at that point, had just amassed their second three-game winning streak of the season with a nine-point road triumph over the Xavier Musketeers. Seven days later, in their house, the Friars stood ten minutes away from extending that stretch to four games.
But much to Providence’s despair, the Golden Eagles erupted in the fourth quarter and escaped Rhode Island with a four-point victory. The Friars went on to win just two of their final 11 games following that heartbreaking defeat. Even with a first-round bye in the WNIT, the upset-minded Colgate Raiders ended the team’s season with a 13-point triumph at Alumni Hall.
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Yet some of those unpleasant defeats had positive highlights and provided learning moments for head coach Erin Batth. Providence had three games where they shot better than 40% from downtown and won the rebounding battle seven times. They stuck around with the top-seeded UConn women’s basketball team for nearly three quarters in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.
Even better for Batth, all five primary starters and two guards who missed most of last year because of injuries return for one final ride. That includes All-Big East Second Team forward Olivia Olsen, the Friars’ guiding light. Calling Olsen a two-way forward feels like a massive understatement of her overall skillset. The 6-foot-3 New York native swatted multiple shots in half of her games played and recorded a double-double all but once when she collected 10+ boards.
It might also not be fair to conclude that Providence goes as Olsen goes, especially regarding their frontcourt. Senior forward Emily Archibald landed more triples than her fellow rising senior did and provided sufficient support on the glass at 5.1 rebounds per game. Archibald does not just collect boards on the defensive end, however. Only two Friars had more than the Maine native’s 13 blocks; her 41 steals led the team.
Graduate students Grace Efosa and Brynn Farrell, meanwhile, spearheaded the guard game and provided quality scoring touches from different parts of the floor. Farrell found a home from behind two lines; no Providence player had more than her 44 triples and 102 free throws. Efosa channeled her offensive energy toward the interior at a 41.2% clip from the field. The Friars’ longest-tenured player’s power grows substantially stronger when she gets in a groove.
None of those four primary starters could have prospered without the intensity that 6-foot-1 senior Marta Morales Romero brought on the court. Even though the Providence Athletics website lists her as a forward and a guard, Morales Romero succeeds more when she is playing in the backcourt. As a point guard, the Spain native can feed her teammates and serve as the nucleus in the Friars’ offensive cell. As a shooting guard, Morales Romero can knock down buckets from several areas.
Kylee Sheppard and Audrey Koch’s returns from injury should offload some pressure from the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon’s hands. Both seniors appeared in a combined seven games last season, yet they made the most of that small sample size. Sheppard recorded multiple assists in all but one of her six contests and consistently caused trouble in the transition game. Koch scored four points in seven minutes during her lone appearance.
Former Xavier Musketeer MacKayla Scarlett, one of two incoming transfers, adds more depth to Providence’s senior-heavy lineup. The Bronx native brings to the Ocean State an all-around toolset that could shift the offense into another gear. On top of leading the Musketeers in scoring the past two seasons, Scarlett possesses a keen eye for the ball that could reduce the Friars’ turnover woes.
Providence’s 2024-25 campaign might feel almost like an “all-in” push with how many seniors are on the roster. It might not have necessarily felt that way in Batth’s first year, but the mindset in the program has seemingly turned toward a win-now approach. Going through last year’s late-season collapse may have been the root cause of the Friars’ increasing desire to win.
That pursuit toward success should drastically change Providence’s problem of closing several contests where they held a third-quarter advantage. The hard work the program put in during the offseason should reduce their league-high 19.2 turnovers per game. Above all else, though, that ambition should fuel the Friars to finish at least .500 against the Big East Conference for the first time since 1994.
How the Huskies can defeat Providence next season
The Friars struggled to hold onto the rock against UConn, turning it over 65 times across three meetings last year. 45% of them, or 28 exactly, came when the two programs battled at the XL Center back in January. Even if Providence improved their ball-handling skills during the offseason, the Huskies have several players who might rattle their composure.
Big East All-Freshman Team selection KK Arnold could put up absurd numbers in the transition game. No one would blame her; Arnold recorded 12 steals between all three matchups as a first-year student. Big East Freshman of the Year Ashlynn Shade will also have a huge role in forcing turnovers. Opposing guards may prepare more for Shade’s presence on the defensive glass, but that may mean they ignore her 37 steals in 38 games.
Career performances could be in line for Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen in these contests. If Chen shines in the transition game like she did in her final 10 games as a Tiger, slowing the California native down may become impossible. Trying to simultaneously stop redshirt seniors Paige Bueckers and Aubrey Griffin almost turns into a triple whammy for any opponent.
73 of Connecticut’s 236 points versus the Friars last year came via turnovers. With multiple players returning from injury and a high-octane offense, the price may increase if Providence cannot consistently keep the ball in their hands. Cost aside, how both programs handle the ball in the transition game will be the deciding factor in either matchup.
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