Sports
Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Brown – Providence College Athletics
Women’s Basketball
GAME INFORMATION VS. BROWN UNIVERSITY | NOVEMBER 15 | PIZZITOLA SPORTS CENTER | 7 PM
Game Notes vs. Brown (PDF)
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FRIARS HEAD TO PIZZITOLA SPORTS CENTER TO FACE BROWN… The Friars will make the short trip across the city of Providence to face Brown University at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
FRIARS AND BEARS ALL-TIME… The Friars and Bears have met 30 times during the history of the two women’s basketball programs. Providence leads the all-time series, 21-9, and has claimed wins in each of the last two meetings.
PROVIDENCE AND BROWN AT PIZZITOLA SPORTS CENTER… Providence and Brown have met 14 times at the Pizzitola Sports Center. The Friars lead the all-time series, 10-4, in games played on Brown’s home court. The last time Providence played at Brown was on Dec. 8, 2021. The Friars claimed a 59-43 victory, which snapped a three-game skid against the Bears at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
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 41 of their 133 points off of their opponent’s turnovers this season, through two games. The 41 points accounts for 31-percent of the Friars’ offensive output. Most recently, Providence outscored Vermont, 24-5, in points off turnovers.
DEFENSE… The Friars have held both of their opponents below 50 points and a combined 0.307 shooting from the field. Providence tops the BIG EAST Conference in scoring defense at 46.5 points per game, and ranks second in field-goal percentage defense (0.307).
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 TWO 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 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She is shooting 43.8-percent from the field (7-16), including a team-best 50-percent from three-point territory (5-10). 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 two games, she leads the team in assists (5.0 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (+5.00).
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 is the Friars’ leading returning scorer (10.1 ppg), rebounder (6.0 rpg) and shot blocker (1.7 bpg). 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).
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.
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.
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 FINISHED NON-CONFERENCE PLAY 9-2… The Friars finished their 2022-23 non-conference slate with a 9-2 record. It marked the most victories for Providence in regular-season non-conference play since 2019-20 (9-3).
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 Sunday, Nov. 19 against Boston College. The game will be played at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. and is scheduled to tipoff at 2:00 p.m.
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