Villanova's Second Half Execution was the Difference in a Win at Providence

Midway through the second half of Providence’s 88-82 loss to Villanova on Tuesday, the Friars (and their fans) offered one final burst of energy in a game in which they’d been playing uphill all night.

Trailing 46-34 at halftime, PC cut Nova’s lead to five at 63-58 with 10:17 to go. As the Amica Mutual Pavilion came to life at Providence’s defensive uptick during an 8-0 spurt, what ensued over the final ten minutes encapsulated the difference between the hosts and Villanova.

If you’ve been following along here all season, you’ve certainly read about this year’s version of the Friars missing a “stabilizer” — the type of calm that Josh Oduro provided in Kim English’s first season at the helm.

Basketball games naturally ebb and flow, but every team needs a veteran who consistently makes the right play when the game most calls for it.

Over the next two minutes, it was Tyler Perkins providing Nova with a measure of maturity that gave Kevin Willard’s club a comfortable cushion once again.

After the Stefan Vaaks layup that cut it to 63-58, Perkins appeared ready to set a screen, but slipped to the 3-point arc to get himself a wide-open look after the Friars lost him. He promptly buried it.

PC countered with a deep Jaylin Sellers early in the shot clock that he missed. It was a less-than-ideal possession in an important moment.

On Villanova’s ensuing trip, Providence got a steal. It looked as though Ryan Mela had a chance to go for a layup (or at least draw a foul) on a break, but he sprayed it out to Sellers for a good look at a three that also missed.

Perkins grabbed an offensive rebound the next time Villanova had the ball, then backed his way down from beyond the arc for a post score that came without enough resistance.

Down ten once again, the game felt all but out of reach — especially against a Nova team that plays at such a slow pace and a Friar defense that hasn’t been able to string stops together.

Perkins and fellow veteran Devin Askew took turns making the right play when Villanova needed it. Askew was too quick for Vaaks off the bounce and got an easy mid-range shot, then he posted up and dropped a dime for a dunk.

“We should have just had a good stick closeout there,” English said of Perkins’ three that swung the tide.

“We take so much pride in our 1-1 post defense, so we’ll be disappointed when we watch those possessions on film,” he continued.

Here’s where box scores and individual points per game averages don’t always tell the full story. The Friars had three players score 20+ points, but Perkins (15 points, 8 boards, 0 turnovers) made the key plays in the biggest moments for a Villanova team that looks destined for an NCAA Tournament bid.

The home team had one final push, but defensive execution killed them again in the final two minutes. PC lost Duke Brennan on a screen-and-roll, leading to a pair of free throws to put this one away.

Providence lost, despite shooting 55% from the floor.

Freshman Jamier Jones left every last ounce of energy out there. His 23 points were the most by a Friar freshman since AJ Reeves went for 24 in 2019, but beyond the points it was the sheer effort and will he played with that was so impressive. His energy-athleticism combo is reminiscent of Devin Carter.

“He’s a freshman, so he’s going to make some mistakes still — a couple of turnovers that he shouldn’t have, or fouls,” English said. “But he has such great courage, and our guys feed off of that.”

It was the second straight game that English praised Jones’ courage.

Jaylin Sellers scored 17 of his 24 points after the break, while making 4-12 from three, while Stefan Vaaks scored 21 points in 37 minutes.

The Friars were without leading scorer Jason Edwards, who English said was battling a flare-up of plantar fasciitis.

PC dug itself a hole in the first half due to some uncharacteristic turnover problems. Villanova held an 11-2 edge in points off turnovers at the break. The fast start silenced another strong home crowd.

With the loss, Providence dropped to 8-9 overall and 1-5 in the Big East.

“Our backs are more than against the wall,” English said postgame. “It’s going to be a good test for us not to let go of the rope. We let go of the rope in the first half at Xavier when we weren’t making shots. I was proud to see them not let go of the rope in the second half tonight.”