Despite a breakout game from Justyn Fernandez, late-game execution dooms PC in 75-73 loss to Villanova

Kim English and his staff likely would have taken most of what this box score included if they’d seen it prior to Providence’s 75-73 heartbreaker at Villanova on Friday.

The Wildcats entered this game with one of the top 15 offenses in the country and were hitting threes at a 41% clip on the season, but it was the Friars who enjoyed a 14-7 advantage in made 3-point field goals, while PC was a +8 in bench points (12-4), +10 in assists (16-6), and +1 in fast break points (7-6).

But the game isn’t played on paper, and Villanova made more of the “plays in key moments” as English cited afterwards.

This had the makings of one of the more unlikely victories in recent memory. Down starters Ryan Mela (illness) and Wesley Cardet (knee soreness), and with wing Rich Barron limited in his return from a concussion and Bryce Hopkins seemingly sidelined for the season, PC started 0-9 from beyond the arc.

Down 23-14 with halftime approaching, they appeared to be on the verge of falling into one of those holes that is simply too big to dig out of — then Providence inexplicably caught fire over the final 6:30 of the first half.

The 0-9 start from three was filled with good looks for a Providence team that figured to lean more on shots from beyond the arc without the downhill ability of Mela and Cardet.

Incredibly, the same group that couldn’t hit a thing knocked down 9-11 from beyond the arc to close the half — seven of those makes came in the final 6:30.

The catalyst was Corey Floyd, the junior wing who has flown under the radar some, despite playing the best basketball of his career this month.

“He just turned 21,” English said of Floyd after he scored 18 points on Friday. “He just continues to work, continues to accept coaching. He, by far, had our best game at Creighton the other day, and he put together another good performance tonight.”

With PC down 23-14, Floyd hit a three late in the shot clock, and then buried another on a kick out from Justyn Fernandez to get the visitors rolling.

Five different Friars hit a three during the final 6:30 of the first:

The surprise of the first half was Justyn Fernandez, who got his first start in a Friar uniform and went into the break with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while knocking down three 3-pointers in 13 minutes.

No one saw that coming, at least no one from outside of the program.

“There was not a doubt in anyone’s mind that he would have a good game today,” English said of Fernandez.

But those plays in key sequences English referred to?

The first half ended with a big one.

Villanova center Eric Dixon, the nation’s leading scorer, threw in a leaning 3-pointer as the final seconds ticked down to close the first half — and instead of heading to the locker room down 37-29 at the break, it felt like a far more manageable 37-32 for the Wildcats.

Nova carried the momentum from Dixon’s shot into the second half, taking advantage of the Providence defense from 17 feet and in. Dixon snatched an offensive rebound and put it back home, and La Salle transfer Jhamir Brickus and senior Jordan Longino then combined for three mid-range shots to highlight a 10-0 run out of the half — a 13-0 spurt going back to Dixon’s prayer three.

The 37-29 Friar lead became a 42-37 deficit in just over three minutes of game time, before Fernandez snapped the spurt with a corner three to settle PC back in.

Providence continued to battle in the second half, but there were too many attention-to-detail moments that hurt. They twice lost Brickus at the 3-point line on screen and rolls — the first made it a 47-45 game, the second pushed a two-point Nova lead to five with 2:30 left.

PC gave up a few straight-line drives in the second half that will sting when watching it back on the flight home.

There were also some huge shots from Dixon along the way. He hit three seemingly well-contested jump shots with the game in the balance late in the second half. Sometimes it’s just a matter of a star player making big shots.

Yet, with all of that, Providence tied the game on another Fernandez 3-pointer with under 1:30 left in the game. The make was Fernandez’ fifth from distance on the night and capped a 17-point, five-rebound, four-assist performance that served as the latest encouraging sign from a Friar underclassman.

“There’s not a kid I’ve ever coached harder,” English said of Fernandez. “And I promised him that in recruiting. His parents looked me right in the eye and said that’s exactly what they wanted. He turned down some big-time schools to come play for us at George Mason, and through his time — being out of the rotation — he’s been exemplary in his work every day.”

The final minute, once again, came down to the little things. Villanova got an offensive rebound off its first attempt, then put back an airball to take a two-point lead with 42 seconds left.

Providence had a great look at an open three on its ensuing possession that back-rimmed.

After the teams traded free throws and Eric Dixon split a pair in the closing seconds, PC had three chances to tie the game or go ahead — the first was a matchup they liked with Dixon on Jayden Pierre, but Pierre lost the ball. With under five seconds left, Providence had two chances to inbound and score, but they couldn’t get a good look on either and lost a heartbreaker.

English noted that he was “incredibly proud” of his team’s effort, and emphasized that his group had more than enough talent to compete and win on the road, despite being shorthanded.

“Our team lacks nothing,” he said. “We lack nothing. The standard is the standard.”

A win on Friday felt like a tall task, but it was right there for the taking in the final minute.

The Friars just couldn’t grab a defensive rebound, or convert on the other end in the game’s biggest moments.

Providence got contributions up and down the roster — with Fernandez and Floyd combining for 35 points, Bensley Joseph rebounding from a tough night at Creighton with a team-high 20 on 4-7 from three, Oswin Erhunwunse blocking three more shots and grabbing eight boards, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim providing a spark with three jumpers.

The Friars didn’t get a good one out of Pierre, however, who had his worst week of the season by a good measure, finishing 1-11 from the field and 1-9 from deep. Pierre scored a combined 62 points in the first three games of January (on 8-20 from three), but hit on just 3-20 from the field during this two-game road trip. He had scored in double figures in 11 of the previous 12 games prior to this week.

“He’s turning down good shots to take tougher ones. You’re never going to be as open as when you first catch the ball. We’ve got to keep him confident and shooting the ball,” English said of Pierre on Friday.

In a season filling up with what-ifs, Friar fans will spend the next week preparing for Ed Cooley and Georgetown and thinking of how different the next eight days would have felt had Providence only made a play or two over the final stretch to pull out the win at Villanova.