With a week layoff for both teams for semester final exams the game got off to a bit of a slow start offensively but eventually Providence raced out to a 14 point lead at the 7:44 mark of the first half. The Minutemen would fight back and get the lead down to 4 points at the 5:16 mark but then Providence kicked it back in gear and pulled away again, this time for good, taking a 13 point lead into the locker room at halftime. Freshman Ben Bentil got his first career start in favor of redshirt junior Tyler Harris. He finished with 5 point and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes of action.

It will be interesting to hear from Ed Cooley after the game on what his rationale was for making the move and whether it will be something that continues moving forward. Ed Cooley did say after the Big East Championship game that going into the 2013-14 season the plan prior to the suspensions and injuries was to have Harris be the 6th man coming off the bench to provide scoring. Perhaps that’s something he and his staff are going back to now that they have the bodies to have a bench.

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