Ryan Mela and the Friars found no love in loss at Colorado
By KEVIN McNAMARA
It sure was a long way to travel to learn a painful, early-season lesson.
What are the lessons that Kim English and his Providence College Friars will travel home from Boulder, Colo. with? If you don’t guard your yard, you’ll lose every time.
The Friars were out-played for 40 minutes, especially around the rim, in a 97-88 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. PC (2-2) has now dropped two of its precious few non-league chances as this defeat joins the painful overtime loss to Virginia Tech last weekend.
This time around the problems were much more galling, to both the coaching staff and fans back in Rhode Island. Colorado (3-0) came in as the bigger, stronger team but that will happen a lot to the Friars this season. PC’s strengths are speed, quickness, scoring and the ability to battle with their depth. After seeing the Buffaloes shoot 50 percent for the game, 60 percent in the second half, score 54 points in the paint and get out-rebounded by 11, plenty of red flags are raised in Friartown right now.
“I didn’t recognize the team out there tonight and that’s an unsettling feeling as a coach,” English said. “That’s the second time I’ve felt that this season, of us simply not doing what we work on or doing what the game requires. That’s a bad feeling as the coach.”
English added that he “didn’t have the guys ready, and that’s on me. It’s a tough pill to swallow because they did exactly what we anticipated.”
English felt to be trailing by just 39-38 at the half, “with as bad as we played, was a blessing,” but things lingered from the opening 20 minutes and only grew uglier after halftime. Colorado clearly chose to pound the ball inside on offense and while Oswin Erhunmwunse (5 rebounds, 7 blocks) did his best in 23 minutes, he had absolutely no help. Backup big Cole Hargrove fouled out in 13 minutes and seems too slow for this level. Senior transfer Duncan Powell came off the bench and gave his team nothing for the third time. If those two big forwards can’t contribute, this team is doomed.
That trio of big men was routed by 6-9 Israeli freshman Alon Michaeli’s 20 points and 6 rebounds and 6-10, 270-pound senior Elijah Malone’s 17 points and 7 rebounds. Barrington Hargress (15 points) is a sweet pickup off the transfer wire from Cal-Riverside and Los Angeles freshman Isaiah Johnson (15 points) is off to a fast start in his college career.
SUBSCRIBE to KEVIN McSPORTS TODAY- CLICK HERE!!
While PC’s offense never really clicked for long stretches, the Friars did post 88 points in a road game. That should be enough to get the job done. The game began with Jaylin Sellers picking up two early fouls and going to the bench for all but three first half minutes. He finished with just two field goals for the night. Jason Edwards carried the attack all game, especially in the moments when ball movement slowed and screening disappeared. The senior guard led all scorers with 24 points, hit two threes and had six assists.
The Friars shot 44 percent for the game but killed themselves with horrid 3-point shooting as only 6-of-25 tries (24%) hit paydirt. In need of some magic in the second half, the Friars made just 2-of-11 tries. Corey Floyd (0-5 threes) finished with 13 points, Stefan Vaaks had 11 (two treys) and Ryan Mela 10.
Asked about his team’s toughness on defense, English promises some wholesale changes.
“There are certain things in basketball where it’s (on) you,” he said. “Free throw shooting, your one-on-one defense and your defensive rebounding. It’s on you, and that was so disappointing. Some of our older guys (too). We’re going to revamp our practices. We’re going to flip this thing and really, really hone in on our defense. Eighty-eight points is plenty.”
Despite so many breakdowns, the Friars trailed by just 74-71 with 5:32 to play after a Sellers drive and score. But Michaeli snuck inside Mela for a hoop and a free throw, then he scored again in the lane and CU was back in control, 79-71. Hargrove fouled out trying to guard Michaeli in the post and the Buffaloes scored two more points. That trend continued down the stretch as the Friars kept fouling when they needed defensive stops and the home team cashed in by hitting 17-of-18 second half free throws.
