The Dynamic Duo of Josh Oduro and Devin Carter Excel in an Overtime Win Versus Creighton
The Friars attacked the rim, shooting their highest percentage of field goal attempts in the paint all season against Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner
On paper, this wasn’t a game that Providence should have won — not after they trailed at halftime, then surrendered 60.7% shooting from the field (and 64.3% beyond the arc) in the second half against a Creighton group that had it rolling.
The Friar team that struggled to get anything going offensively against Villanova on Sunday night wasn’t supposed to overcome that type of second-half shooting from Creighton — not against a Jays team that makes it so difficult to score at the rim with two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner manning the interior. It didn’t seem possible that PC would score the 47 points needed in the second half to send the latest Providence/Creighton thriller into overtime.
But on some nights your star players won’t let you lose, your role players make enough plays throughout to keep you afloat, and you were embarrassed just enough from the last time out to make a statement the next time you step on the floor.
Providence certainly had plenty to play for on Wednesday night against Creighton. They couldn’t afford to fall to 5-7 in Big East play and, perhaps more significantly, the Friars had plenty to prove after looking listless against a very beatable Villanova team over the weekend.
Defensively, the Friars have been terrific from the jump this season, but Wednesday night against Creighton marked one of the few times this year that the Friars put their offensive stamp on a game in the opening minutes.
It wasn’t pretty early, but it was assertive. Providence looked determined to challenge Kalkbrenner inside in a manner that most opponents don’t bother. The result? Six of PC’s first seven field goals came in the paint.
Josh Oduro, who had been limited to 4-17 shooting the last time these two teams met, scored five of PC’s first six buckets — first on a pair of dives out of screen and roll action, followed by banking in a tough angle post opportunity around Kalkbrenner, and then knocking down a 3-pointer after he was left alone at the arc. He finished his early surge with a slow-mo fadeaway over Kalkbrenner.
The tone had been set: Providence was going to erase any memory of the passive Villanova loss and rush Kalkbrenner relentlessly.
While the Friars were in attack mode in the first half, they weren’t overly efficient: 11-35 from the field, 5-15 from three, and just enough plays to keep them close enough to head into the locker room down 33-31. Sophomore Jayden Pierre snapped a three-game skid without a made 3-pointer by hitting a pair of threes in the opening half, including a big one to keep Providence connected after they went down 25-18 with just over five minutes left.
The second half was high-level basketball from the opening seconds, a game reminiscent of last year’s Providence/Creighton double overtime Valentine’s Day war.
Baylor Scheierman scored ten points in the first two and a half minutes of the half, only to be matched by a pair of Devin Carter layups, a fadeaway by Pierre that rolled home, and Corey Floyd Jr. hitting his second 3-pointer of the night.
Carter hit a three at 16:43.
Scheierman responded with one of his own 12 seconds later.
After Oduro scored three more times, Scheierman countered once again with a jumper to keep PC from pulling away (53-50).
Providence looked to be surging after a pair of Floyd Jr. layups and an Oduro free throw pushed PC ahead by eight, but Steven Ashworth and Francisco Farabello came right back with a pair of threes.
From there, it turned into a game of “Can you top this?”