Dec. 19, 2007

Final Stats

PROVIDENCE, RI - Junior Weyinmi Efejuku led four Providence College players in double figures with 22 points and grabbed ten rebounds as the Friar held off a determined Sacred Heart University men's basketball team Wednesday night, escaping with a 94-89 win.

Providence, 7-3, led 49-38 at the intermission, thanks to 56 percent shooting and dominating the Pioneers on the boards.

Sacred Heart, 3-7, came out and started chipping away at the Friar lead, Tying the game at 67-67 on a trey from sophomore Corey Hassan. The Pioneers took a 69-67 lead on a pair of Ryan Litke free throws with 10:03 left in the game. Brice Brooks put SHU ahead by three, making one of two free throws with 9:31 to play.

Providence retook the lead a 73-71 on a McKenzie layup with 8:19 left. PC held a 79-77 lead when Litke was fouled with 3:56 left. He hit one of two to cut the Providence lead to 79-78.

Geoff McDermott was fouled on a layup at the other end but missed the free throw for the three-point play to keep the Providence lead at three. Chauncey Hardy fouled out for the Pioneers with 3:02 left on another drive by McDermott. McDermott made one of two to make it 82-78.

A three-point play by Brooks with 1:49 left cut the Friar advantage to 85-81. Hanke was fouled with 1:19 left and made both to push the lead back to six. A Corey Hassan three with :45 put the Pioneers back within four at 88-84.

A pair of free throws by Efejuku with :42 left brought it back to six, but Brooks had a tip to answer for SHU. A dunk by Randall Henke with :25 left to push it back to 92-86. Hassan wouldn't give in and buried a three with :15 to go to make it 92-89. A quick foul by the Pioneers sent Dwain Williams to the line and he made both to put the Pioneers away as time ran out.

Junior Ryon Howard led the Pioneers with 16 points, while Hardy and Luke Granato added 15 each. Brooks finished with ten. Shubik had eight points, but a career-high 12 assists as well as five steals.

McDermott ended with 21 points, ten boards, six assists, and six blocks for the Friars. Randall Hanke chipped in 20, while McKenzie finished with 12.