The SB Nation site BCInterruption.com is reporting that at least 8 players on Boston College’s men’s basketball team have been stricken with E. Coli infections. The school’s athletic medical staff sent out an email telling athletes to avoid eating at the restaurant chain Chipotle. Several members of the Boston College team reported symptoms of food poisoning on Sunday morning ahead of the Eagles’ game against UMass-Lowell — a game they would go on to lose — and senior center Dennis Clifford sat out due to illness.
Providence College announced a partnership with the City of Providence, via a press release on Monday, that will unite the College’s Athletic Department with the City’s Recreation Department to form the Junior Friars imitative. Providence College will donate tickets to Friar athletic events and student-athletes from PC will spend time with City students on Providence’s campus. Students from City schools will gain eligibility in this Junior Friars initiative by participating in Providence Recreation programs.
Ben Bentil’s star has been on the rise since the Providence Friars went out West over Thanksgiving weekend. Since Bentil set a career-high with 24 points in Providence’s opening round win over Evansville in the Wooden Legacy Tournament on Thanksgiving night, the sophomore from Delaware — by way of Ghana — has been on a tear of 20 point scoring efforts. Bentil scored 21 points in Providence’s blowout win against Hartford on Tuesday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and followed that up by notching a game-high 23 points, including the game-winning tip-in as time expired against in-state rival Rhode Island on Saturday night.
Week 5 of the college basketball polls have been released and Providence is moving on up after a 2-0 week that included a thrilling win on the road at in-state rival Rhode Island. The Friars also defeated Hartford handily at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center to start the week after making their debut in both polls for the first time since March 2015. Providence debuted in the AP Poll at 23rd and 24th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll last week. They are now 15th in the AP Poll and 18th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll this week.
This Thoughts from the Road: Couch Edition is brought to you from the insanely comfortable — and hard to get up from — couch at the Smerkers’. It is also fueled by trips to Anthony’s and East Side Pocket and Mollie’s buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
Ed Cooley was doing his best troll job by using coachspeak to call this matchup against Providence’s most-played opponent all-time a business trip and not a rivalry game. Cooley’s comments added a little fuel to the fire this year to a game that lost a bit of it’s luster when E.C. Matthews tore his ACL in URI’s season opener. The game certainly lived up to whatever hype there was and is garnering lots of national attention for how exciting it was and for the dramatic fashion in which the Friars won the game.
Wow. That’s a rivalry game and the finish couldn’t have been more exciting. Ben Bentil saved the day with the game-winning tip-in at the buzzer off a Kris Dunn miss. Bentil led all scorers with 23 in the game, which makes this 5 straight 20+ scoring games for the Friar sophomore. He also led the Friars on the glass with 8 boards.
Kris Dunn had a season-high 6 turnovers but had some big-time baskets down the stretch. Dunn finished with 15 points, 5 rebound and 3 steals.
Junior Lomomba has a nice night for the Friars, finishing with 10 points on 4/6 shooting.
The Friars return to action Wednesday against ACC foe Boston College at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. That game tips at 7pm EST and is on FS1.
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