Sports
Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Boston College – Providence College Athletics
Women’s Basketball
FRIARS WELCOME BOSTON COLLEGE TO ALUMNI HALL… The Providence College Friars will host Boston College in a non-conference match-up on Sunday, November 19 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES… Providence and Boston College will meet for the 60th time when the two teams tip-off on Sunday afternoon. The Friars lead the all-time series, 33-26. The Eagles have earned victories in 17 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams, including three-straight wins heading into Sunday’s contest.
THE LAST 10… Five of the last 10 games between Providence and Boston College have been decided by single digits, including the most recent game played on Nov. 20, 2022 in Chestnut Hill, Mass., which the Eagles won, 73-64.
LAST TIME PROVIDENCE DEFEATED BOSTON COLLEGE… Providence last defeated Boston College on Nov. 17, 2019 by a score of 70-60 in Providence, R.I. It capped a string of three-straight wins over the Eagles.
PROVIDENCE AND BOSTON COLLEGE AT ALUMNI HALL… Providence and Boston College have met 28 times at Alumni Hall during the all-time series. The Friars lead the series on their home court, 17-11, including victories in two of the last three games played at the venue.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR’S MATCH-UP… The two teams were tied, 14-14, after the opening 10 minutes, but Boston College seized control of the game with a 22-12 scoring advantage in the second quarter to take a 35-26 lead at halftime. Providence outscored Boston College 38-37 in the second half and was unable to overcome the early deficit. Janai Crooms ’23 led the Friars with 25 points, while Olivia Olsen chipped in 19 points and a team-best seven rebounds. The remaining seven players who saw action in the game combined for just 20 points. Grace Efosa was not active for the match-up against the Eagles last season. Boston College was paced by three players in double figures: Taina Mair (15), T’Yana Todd (15) and Maria Gakdeng (10). Todd is the only player of the three on the current roster for Boston College.
FRIARS FALTER AT BROWN… The Friars could never get in a rhythm during their first road game of the year on Nov. 15 against Brown. Providence led 17-16 at halftime and was outscored 17-9 in the third quarter. PC trailed by eight (52-44) with 6:01 remaining in the game. The Friars closed within one (57-56) with 1:39 to play on a triple by Kylee Sheppard from the left wing. Providence had an opportunity to take the lead at the free throw line with 21-seconds left to play, but both attempts from senior Brynn Farrell rimmed out. The Bears closed out the game with a 4-4 performance from the line. Grace Efosa was the lone Friar in double figures with 13 points and she added eight rebounds. Olivia Olsen chipped in nine points and eight boards. Sheppard also scored nine points and dished a team-high three assists. The Friars recorded a season-high 24 turnovers in the game.
FRIARS TAKE DOWN REIGNING AMERICA EAST CHAMPION VERMONT TO IMPROVE TO 2-0… The Friars improved to 2-0 on the season with a 57-47 victory over reigning America East Champion Vermont on Nov. 10 in Providence, R.I. Olivia Olsen paced four Friars in double figures with 14 points. She also added seven boards and a game-high four blocked shots. The Friars were down by as many as seven midway through the first quarter and used a 20-7 scoring advantage in the second quarter to take a 37-25 lead at halftime. The Catamounts closed within two (49-47) with 4:00 minutes remaining in the fourth, but the Friars closed out the game with an 8-0 spurt.
MAKE THEM PAY… The Friars have scored 64 of their 189 points off of their opponent’s turnovers this season, through three games. The 64 points accounts for 34-percent of the Friars’ offensive output.
DEFENSE… The Friars are 2-0 this season when they hold their opponents below 50 points. In their only loss of the season, thus far, the Friars gave up 61 points to Brown on Nov. 15 (61-56).
OLIVIA OLSEN NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL… Olivia Olsen was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 13. The junior forward averaged a team-best 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and a BIG EAST-best 3.0 blocked shots in a 2-0 week. Olsen scored a career-high 25 points in the Friars’ victory over Hampton on 9-11 shooting from the field and a 7-7 performance from the foul line. She added eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. On Nov. 10, she paced the Friars with 14 points, seven boards and four blocked shots in a win over Vermont. Through two games, Olsen has converted 69.6-percent of her attempts from the field (16-23), which is the second-highest field-goal percentage in the conference. She also hit 7-8 shots from the foul line (0.875).
FRIARS OPEN ERIN BATTH ERA WITH 76-46 WIN OVER HAMPTON… Providence defeated Hampton, 76-46, in the 2023-24 season opener on Nov. 7 at Alumni Hall. It also marked the first game of the Erin Batth era, as she secured her first career victory as a head coach.
OLIVIA OLSEN AND GRACE EFOSA COMBINE FOR 46 POINTS IN OPENER… Olivia Olsen and Grace Efosa combined to score 46 points in the Friars’ season opener vs. Hampton on Nov. 7. Their scoring total equaled Hampton’s offensive output as a team, as Providence cruised to a 76-46 win. Olsen hit for a career-high 25 points on 9-11 shooting from the field and a 7-7 performance from the foul line. Fifteen of her 25 points came in the second half. Efosa netted 21 points on 6-7 shooting from the field and a 8-9 showing at the foul line.
TWO 20-POINT SCORERS… Olivia Olsen (25) and Grace Efosa (21) are the first players to score 20+ points in the same game since the 2018-19 campaign. Jovana Nogic (27) and Mary Baskerville (22) last achieved the feat on March 21, 2019 vs. Hartford in the first round of the WNIT.
MARTA MORALES ROMERO FILLS STAT SHEET IN FIRST THREE GAMES AS A FRIAR… Junior guard/forward Marta Morales Romero made her debut with the Friars on Nov. 7 vs. Hampton. She played the previous two seasons at Wake Forest. Morales Romero has stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. She is shooting 47.6-percent from the field (10-21), including a team-best 55-percent from three-point territory (6-11). Morales Romero scored a season-high 13 points against Hampton. In her two seasons at Wake Forest, she recorded just one double-digit scoring game.
SHARING THE ROCK… Junior Kylee Sheppard dished a career-high eight assists in the season opener vs. Hampton on Nov. 7. Her previous career high was seven, which she recorded vs. DePaul on Dec. 28, 2022. During her career, she has dished 5+ assists in a game six times. Through three games, she leads the team in assists (4.3 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (+2.17).
FRIARS’ SCHEDULE FILLED WITH 2022-23 POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS… Providence will face 13 teams that qualified for postseason play last season. Ten of those 13 teams competed in the NCAA Tournament, while three others earned invitations to the WNIT. Among the list of 2022-23 NCAA Tournament participants are Vermont, Iona, Sacred Heart, Baylor and five BIG EAST Conference opponents, UConn, Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s and Villanova. The teams Providence will face that competed in the WNIT are Columbia, Rhode Island and Seton Hall.
2023-24 CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED… Seniors Grace Efosa and Brynn Farrell and juniors Kylee Sheppard and Emily Archibald were named team captains ahead of the 2023-24 season. Head Coach Erin Batth made the announcement on Oct. 30, prior to the team’s exhibition game vs. New Haven (Nov. 1).
OLIVIA OLSEN, GRACE EFOSA AND KYLEE SHEPPARD RETURN TO FRIARS TO PLAY FOR FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH ERIN BATTH… Olivia Olsen, Grace Efosa and Kylee Sheppard entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The trio each finished in the top four on the team in scoring and rebounding. All three players decided to return to Friartown after exploring their options and speaking to Coach Batth and her newly assembled staff. The three players combined for 43.9-percent of the Friars’ scoring last season, totaling 853 of Providence’s 1,942 points.
LEADING RETURNING SCORER, REBOUNDER AND SHOT BLOCKER… Olivia Olsen averaged 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in 2022-23 and led the team in each category. Olsen recorded double figures in the scoring column 18 times and ranked second on the team in double-doubles (two). She also shot a team-best 0.481 from the field (129-268). Through three games this season, she leads the team in scoring (16.0 ppg), rebounding 7.7 rpg) and blocked shots (2.7 bpg). Among BIG EAST players, she ranks eighth in scoring, tied for fifth in rebounding and first in blocked shots. Olsen is third among BIG EAST players in field-goal percentage (0.643, 18-28).
BLOCK PARTY… As a team, the Friars recorded 114 blocked shots last season. Olivia Olsen finished with a team-best 53 blocked shots and became the fifth player in program history to reach 50+ blocks in a single season. Through three games, Olsen has recorded a team-best eight blocks (2.3 bpg), which leads the BIG EAST and ranks 21st in NCAA Division I.
JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE… Grace Efosa showed glimpses of what she was capable of last season, as she fully returned from injury. She came out of the gates slow, but finished strong, leading the team in scoring during BIG EAST Conference play (10.8 ppg). Efosa recorded double-digits in the scoring column in 15 games, including 11 double-digit games vs. BIG EAST opponents. Overall, Efosa averaged 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She netted a career-high 27 points on 12-17 shooting in the Friars’ victory over No. 25/24 Creighton (Jan. 4). Sixteen of her 27 came during a decisive second half rally.
MARTA MORALES ROMERO AND UGNE SIRTAUTAITE REPRESENT THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES IN FIBA EVENTS… Junior Marta Morales Romero (Spain) and freshman Ugne Sirtautaite (Lithuania) have each represented their respective countries in high-level FIBA-sponsored events. Morales Romero most recently competed in the 2023 FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship (Jul. 29-Aug. 6) and helped guide Spain to a Bronze Medal while averaging 8.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She finished second among her teammates in scoring (8.3 ppg) and shot 43.5-percent from the floor overall (20-46). Sirtautaite recently played in the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup held in Madrid, Spain (Jul. 15-23). She averaged 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 43.3-percent from the field (23-53). Additionally, she scored a personal-best of 19 points on 7-10 shooting during the Round of 16 vs. Egypt (July 19) and recorded a personal-best 11 rebounds during classification play against Mali (July 22).
SARAH BANDOMA MAKES HER WAY BACK TO THE OCEAN STATE… Junior forward Sarah Bandoma played two seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at St. Francis College Brooklyn. The college announced it was eliminating its athletics programs at the close of the 2022-23 academic year, so Bandoma entered the transfer portal. The Johnston, R.I. native signed with the Friars and first-year Head Coach Erin Batth and has two years of eligibility. During her two seasons at St. Francis, Bandoma appeared in 49 games and was a member of the starting line-up 29 times. Last season, she led the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg), offensive rebounding (3.3 orpg), blocked shots (44) and field-goal percentage (.491, 81-165). She chipped in 6.1 points per game.
PROVIDENCE / JOHNSTON TIES… Sarah Bandoma attended nearby Johnston Senior High School, where she earned Second-Team All-State and Second-Team All-Division I North honors. Bandoma became the second player in school history to jump directly to an NCAA Division I basketball program. The first was former Friar great Chelsea Marandola (2005-10). Marandola was three-time All-BIG EAST selection and ranks third on the Friars’ all-time scoring list with 1,795 points and 19th all-time in rebounding (651).
ERIN BATTH ERA BEGINS IN FRIARTOWN… Erin Batth was hired as the 11th women’s basketball coach in program history at Providence College on March 20, 2023. Batth arrived in Friartown with 17 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with her most recent stops coming at NC State (2018-22) and Michigan (2022-23). She has been part of five conference championships, eight NCAA Elite Eight appearances and three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. She also served as an assistant coach at Liberty (2017-18), Georgia State (2014-17), Tennessee Tech (2012-14) and Towson (2010-12). Batth earned her first career win as a head coach on Nov. 7 vs. Vermont (76-46).
ERIN BATTH’S PLAYING CAREER… Batth played collegiately at Clemson and graduated in 2001. She earned Second-Team Defensive All-America honors and All-ACC Second Team honors during her career. As a senior, she averaged 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and finished her impressive four-year career with 972 points, 722 rebounds and 116 blocked shots. She helped the Tigers to four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and helped Clemson advance to the Sweet 16 in 1999. Batth was the first player from Clemson drafted into the WNBA, going to the Cleveland Rockers in 2001. She played professionally with Panithnaikos and Appollon (in Greece) and Migros (in Turkey). Her WNBA experience also included time with the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Sacramento Monarchs.
ERIN BATTH RADIO SHOW TO DEBUT ON 790 THE SCORE… The second recording of the Erin Batth Radio Show will air on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 4:30-5:00 p.m. on 790 The Score. The show was developed via an existing partnership between Providence College Athletics, LEARFIELD’s Providence Friars Sports Properties and Cumulus Media Providence. The show is hosted by Mike Mancuso, who is in his sixth season as the lead the play-by-play voice of Friar women’s basketball. Nine shows are scheduled to air this season, through March 6, with additional shows to be added during post-season play. Listen live online at: https://www.thescore790.com or tune in to 790AM. The show also will be available online via the Varsity Network app. A full schedule is available below:
Nov. 1 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. (complete)
Nov. 15 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. (complete)
Dec. 6 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 20 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 10 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 24 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 7 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 21 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Mar. 6 • 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
HOW THE FRIARS FARED IN 2022-23… Last season, the Friars compiled a 13-19 overall record, including a 4-16 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. Janai Crooms led the team in scoring (11.8 ppg), rebounding (7.1 rpg) and assists (3.6 apg).
GAMES DECIDED BY 10 POINTS OR LESS… Fifteen of the Friars’ 32 games were decided by 10 points or less last season. Providence posted a 5-10 record in those games. Additionally, the Friars compiled a 3-5 record in games decided by five points or less.
FRIARS IN THE POSTSEASON… The Friars last appeared in the postseason during the 2018-19 campaign. Providence’s 2019 WNIT selection marked the program’s 15th post-season appearance overall and first since 2010. In 2019-20, NCAA and WNIT Championships were canceled to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Friars did not qualify for postseason during the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign. Complete post-season breakdown follows (records in parentheses):
2018-19 WNIT Round of 16 (2-1)
2009-10 WNIT Quarterfinal Round (3-1)
1991-92 NCAA Tournament First Round (0-1)
1990-91 NCAA Tournament Second Round (1-1)
1989-90 NCAA Tournament East Regional (1-1)
1988-89 NCAA Tournament First Round (0-1)
1986-87 National Women’s Invitational Tournament (1-2)
1985-86 NCAA Tournament First Round (0-1)
1981-82 EAIAW Regional Tournament (0-1)
1980-81 EAIAW Regional Tournament (0-1)
1979-80 EAIAW National Tournament (3-1)
1978-79 EAIAW Regional Tournament (0-1)
1977-78 EAIAW Regional Tournament (1-1)
1976-77 EAIAW Regional Tournament (2-2)
1975-76 EAIAW Regional Tournament (1-2)
WHAT’S NEXT… The Friars will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 22 against Monmouth University. The game will be played at Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I. and is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 p.m.
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