PROVIDENCE -- This was not the way this comeback season was supposed to end.
Just seven weeks ago, the Providence College basketball season was one without promise. The Friars were running in place, or worse, against a Big East schedule that offered one stiff challenge after another, tests the Friars simply could not conquer. Limping along with a 10-11 record and little hope in sight, things somehow clicked in.
With just one little-used senior on the floor, the young Friars came together and closed their season on a roll. The post-season tournament berth that at one point seemed hopeless came to fruition in the form of the National Invitation Tournament. Providence won 8 of its last 10 games and seemed primed to keep its dreams of moving on to the tourney's Final Four in New York rolling along.
But then the ball stopped going in. PC's season ended with a whimper last night as conference brother Georgetown rolled into the Dunkin' Donuts Center and wrestled away a 67-58 victory. The Hoyas advance to the N.I.T.'s third round tomorrow night at North Carolina.
Faced with beating the vaunted Georgetown pressure and physical defense, the Friars lost their offense in the second half. Providence shot a miserable 34 percent from the field, 15 percent from the 3-point line and 57 percent from the foul line. Those are numbers PC hasn't seen since its late-
season revival began Feb. 15 at St. John's.
"It just wasn't our night," said freshman guard Donnie McGrath, who had 10 points but 5 turnovers. "We missed free throws, open threes and just made stupid mistakes we don't normally make."
Backcourt mate Sheiku Kabba put it even clearer. "We just didn't make shots. We had all sorts of open looks. We always make most of those. It's hard when you don't make those shots."
PC finished its season with a 18-14 record. Ryan Gomes capped off his outstanding sophomore year with 21 points and 13 rebounds, his 17th double-double of the season. Rob Sanders added 10 points and 7 rebounds, but typified PC's shaky shooting effort by missing six of his eight frees throws.
Georgetown, now 17-14, was led by all-Big East forward Mike Sweetney who came through with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Tony Bethel added 18 points, 15 in the decisive second half.
The game saw a bit of everything, and little of it was pretty. The 7,343 fans witnessed missed dunks, a traveling call on a breakaway layup, airballs galore, phantom fouls, a second-rate officiating crew, and turnovers of all sorts.
The first half was a classic mess, especially from the Hoya's end. Georgetown turned the ball over 16 times and shot 34 percent yet still trailed by only 2, 26-24, thanks to a suffocating defense. PC was 1-of-9 on threes and 32 percent overall in the half.
"We stunk up the gym in the first half on offense," said Georgetown coach Craig Esherick. "But I'm proud of the way we responded in the second half."
The final 20 minutes may have turned on one call. With PC up, 28-24, Sweetney scored inside and was fouled by Marcus Douthit. The PC center then was whacked with a technical foul after Sweetney's shots, apparently for exchanging words with a Hoya player. Gerald Riley sank the two free throws to tie the game but Georgetown scored two more hoops to go up, 32-28, and PC never led again.
PC trailed, 40-36, after a Gomes hoop with 12:46 left when its offense hit the skids. The Friars missed their next eight shots, including four 3-pointers, and threw the ball away five times. Their next field goal didn't come until Gomes stuck back a Kabba miss with 2:45 to play and Georgetown in total control, 54-46.
The Friars tried to press and create some comeback magic down the stretch, but they couldn't defend long enough without fouling and Georgetown did a fine job nailing the game down from the free throw line, hitting 26 of 32.
PC coach Tim Welsh remarked afterwards how upset his players were with not playing their way deeper into this tournament, but he also noted that the late-season winning touch can only help in the future.
"Our guys are disappointed, but I told them that the feeling they have tonight and in New York when we lost to Pittsburgh (in the Big East Tournament) we have to carry that through the spring and keep working," Welsh said. "The N.I.T. was a great springboard into next year. We're all determined to have an even better season next year and start off well and continue well. I like the way things are right now. I think the big picture is bright."
