9:03 PM Wed, Mar 18, 2009 | Permalink
Kevin McNamara  Email
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By KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer
PROVIDENCE - The end has finally come for this group of Friar seniors.
With the season on the line last night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, the Friar defense could not close the door and the Miami Hurricanes escaped with a hard-earned 78-66 victory in a first round National Invitation Tournament game.
Providence (19-14) is done for the year. Miami is looking at a date with the Florida Gators sometime this weekend.
PC started slowly in this one and never really recovered. PC fell into a 21-10 hole and trailed 28-16 late in the first half. Only a push in the final few minutes by the home team helped cut the Miami lead to 33-28 at the break. PC shot just 32 percent in the half.
Miami (19-12) didn't respond to PC's pressure defense (19 turnovers) and those ballhandling errors helped the Friars in the second half. Behind a lift from Brian McKenzie (13 points) from outside the 3-point line, the Friars fought very hard through much of the second half and closed to within three points several times.
But with the game hanging in the balance, the Friars' season-long defensive woes cut them down. With Miami up 62-58, Adrian Thomas nailed an open 15-foot jumper. After two Weyinmi Efejuku free throws, Miami's Jack McClinton came off a screen and nailed an open 3-pointer to extend the lead to 70-60 and put the Friars in a very deep hole that they could not escape from.
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I hate to see the season end! The refs were amazingly horrific and I think they certainly had a negative outcome on tonights game. I know that sounds like sour grapes but some of the calls were simply an exercise in flat-out silliness!
Seniors, thanks for a Great year! I loved every moment of every game!!! Keno and gang-keep up the good work and I'm counting down to next fall!
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Meier you are an idiot and the reason few like your high school program
One and done with an NIT home game is a pathetic way to end a year
In closing, you must have no life if you are already waiting for next year's mediocrity
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EA, I couldn't agree with you more. Different year, same story. I don't see anything different with Keno Davis that gives Friar fans any hope. It's desperation for a successful year that has fans under the delusion Davis is the answer for this program. There's a reason he was not the first choice! One and done in the post-season and, most likely, would have been one and done in the big east tournament if they weren't so lucky to play the worst team in the big east. Even at that they struggled and barely won. This is a coach focused entirely on offense. How many three point shots can you make? He even admitted this himself when he made the comment earlier in the year "I don't care if the other team scores 91...so long as we score 92." I believe this comment was made before the Louisville game. What D1 coach says this. Any intelligent individual knows defense wins games and this talented and seasoned group of kids had the WORST defensive statistics in the entire big east and one of the worst in all of D1 ball. I will go out on a limb and say this..."This season would have been far more successful under Tim Welsh!" People may say that statement is crazy but I'll tell you this...Friar fans will be calling for Keno Davis and the PC athletic department's jobs within the next two years. Get ready Friar fans for the excuses to begin. You will hear the words "Rebuilding Year" for the next 2-3 years!
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Bring back Tim Welsh! Keno can coach a mid major not a team in a power conference. PC had close to 20 turnovers every night with a great point guard. Curry will be first team all Big-East next year because he will need to score 20 points a night. Last year's Friars team had much less turnovers with McDermott at point guard. That falls on coaching. This team can not handle pressure which means they dont do it enough in practice. For example look at Hendriken in Rhode Island high school basketball. They are ready for every defense possible and handle pressure due to great coaching. PC can not say that about this terrible coaching staff. The AD should be fired now get rid of Driscoll. And to every Friars fan who wanted Welsh out look at not last year but the year before. This classes sophmore year. With Herbert Hill, an inconsistent Efejuku, Sharraud Curry who was more of a distributing guard, and McDermott. That was without randall hanke, Jeff Xavier and a consistent Efejuku and Welsh took that team to the same spot Keno took this team.
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