Special Post-Season Edition Vol. LVIII No. 18 Providence College - Providence, Rhode Island March 28,1994 WOW!! Friars Win First Ever Big East Championship in)", referring to last year's by Justin Macione '95 snub. Assistant Sports Editor Fortunately Barnes and Only a couple of weeks his troops didn't have to go ago, the Providence College to extremes, but Saturday's Friars were struggling to semifinal feat proved to be keep their heads above wa­ almost as amazing; defeating ter. Faced with a 7th place 5- the #2 ranked University of 8 Big East record, Friar fanat­ Connecticut Huskies 69-67. ics echoed comments such as Following Friday's "These seniors have really thrashing of St. Johns, the disappointed" or "This team Huskies looked unstop­ is going nowhere!" pable. Donyell Marshall had In response to this criti­ just ripped the Redmen for cism, the Friars rapped off a a tournament record 42 five game season ending win points. Who would step up streak. After their March 7, for the Friars on Saturday? 73-69 overtime thriller Try the oft-maligned against the Georgetown Simpkins and Rob Phelps. Hoyas, talk of disappoint­ The focus of huge ment quickly switched to expectations since his ar­ talk of the NCAA bubble. rival, Phelps was forced into This newfound opti­ the role of defensive stopper, mism was somewhat tem­ a result of his season long pered by the reality that the scoring slump. However, Friars were about to enter the Phelps, the senior scorer re- house of horrors for PC bas­ emerged on Saturday, light­ ketball: The Big East Tourna­ ing up the New York skyline ment. Turning their backs on with 10 for 11 shooting, in­ a 6-14 toumey record, PC's cluding 3 treys, for 23 points. 1994 edition summarily "I go into games now think­ turned the Madison Square ing more defensively than I garden into a second home ever have and it seems to court by capturing their first help things come together ever tournament champion­ offensively," analyzed the The new Big East Champions celebrate after knocking oft Georgetown ship. underrated sixth man. in the title game. The road to the finals In the box score, the began at high noon on Fri­ casual fan will be pleased day with a clash against the with 20 point game by Villanova Wildcats. A vic­ Simpkins, another solid per­ tory would virtually assure former who has faced unre­ the NCAA tournament bid alistic expectations. Yet, if it which had eluded the Friars weren't for Simpkins pres­ last March. suring Donyell Marshall the PC broke out to an entire game and holding him early lead, spearheaded by to 19 points, the 20 points Eric Williams' hot shooting. would have been just an­ When the Wildcats con­ other statistic in a PC loss. verged on Williams, senior Barnes deferred credit for the power forward Michael defensive performance:"! Smith assumed control of the thought that in our past contest, amassing 25 points games I had done too much and 12 rebounds for the coaching. I told Dickey game. With Smith, Dickey you're the guy that has to Simpkins, and Austin guard him, do it anyway you Croshere overmatching the want to.” Wildcats on the glass, point Trailing by a 29-28 score at guard Abdul Abdullah the half, the Friars started the smoothly directed the of­ second with an 8-0 run. This fense. An unexpected 10 would be the preview for point first half from Croshere PC's 68% second half shoot­ also keyed the 77-66 victory. ing. Although the Friars Following the game a re­ never lost the lead again, laxed a relaxed Abdullah UCONN was almost always commented, "A lot of the challenging. time, my teammates and With 31 seconds re­ myself weren't on the same maining, Doron Sheffer's page, but that changed as the foot nicked the 3 point line game went on." Feeling a bit on a long range jumper, help­ more comfortable about PC's ing the Friars retain a 68-67 Michael Smith hoists his tournament Three numbers that won't soon be MVP trophy with Big East Commis­ postseason hopes, coach lead. Possibly, the most cru- forotten at Providence: #42 Dickey Barnes added comic relief to sioner Michael Tranghese. § Simpkins, #22 Rob Phelps, and #34 the situation; "We might pull Michael Smith. a Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya see: Big East Champs Harding thing on the NCAA on page 2 committee (if we don’t get s' The Cowl 2 March 28,1994 ------Special Edition----- \;:::::;:;::X;:::;:;:;:;:::;X;::X;X;:;:;:vX;X;x£:£^ • xK:X:x<::v>:’:.'::x::;x:::::x::::<:::::::::v:vX:x:$^ . = s s s ' I . High Tide Sinks Friars NCAA Hopes End With Disappointing Loss To Alabama Not only did PC by Matt Mlodzinski '94 struggle here with their Sports Editor most. shooting, but certain players PC only lost by six The Big Dance. The labored all game long. with Alabama playing ter­ Providence College Friars Simpkins, who was at the rific and the Friars playing had finally made it to the top of his game at the Big badly. Play this game the NCAA Tournament. They Easts, shot only 1-5 from the next night and PC may have had sealed their way into the field and never got into the won by ten. That's the hard­ tourney by winning PC's game at all. Rob Phelps shot est pill to swallow about this first-ever Big East Champi­ a mere 5-13, but was able to loss. The Friars didn't play onship. Now the Friars hit 4 out his 7 three point at­ the brand of basketball that hoped to ride the momen­ tempts (for 14 points). Eric won eight straight games for tum of the Big East title and Williams was PC’s only con­ them. They didn't go down an eight game winning sistent threat, twisting inside playing their best basketball streak to a run in the for 12-22 shooting en route to and that's what made the NCAAs. Their first hurdle his 27 points. Probably the loss so tough to take. The was the Alabama Crimson surest omen that this one post-game locker room scene Tide in a first round match­ wasn't meant to be was an was a far cry from the Madi­ up in Lexington, Kentucky. open lay-up by Phelps in the son Square Garden jubilation Unfortunately for second half that seemed to be earlier in the week. The Seniors Dickey Simpkins and Abdul Abdullah display the Friars, the magic that through the net, but improb­ players knew that their sea­ the Big East Championship trophy (Abdul also shows lifted the team to the Big East ably spun out and into son ended with one of their off his newest headgear). crown just wasn't there. Ala­ Alabama's hands. worst played games of the bama made the Friars trip to PC was also atro- year. Lexington a short one with a Big East Champs: 76-70 victory that ended not only the season, but the Rick Barnes era at Providence continued from page 1 College. cial play of the game oc­ scramble for the game ball, Eric Williams scored curred when Smith held a memento of the Brooklyn a game-high 27 points for the onto the rebound of a natives coming home party; Friars, who also got 14 from Simpkins foul shot at 19:53, "I wanted that ball real bad, Rob Phelps and 13 from preventing a good final and get my teammates to Michael Brown. Alabama Husky shot. Thanks to the sign it. A lot of people have was led by Jamal Faulkner combined senior effort, the been down on me and there and Marvin Orange who uprising was repelled, and have been a lot of critics, so each hit for 20. PC would advance to their this is a nice sign (of my suc­ It was the wrong first Big East final. cess)." night for everything to go "These were the two Phelps and Simpkins also wrong for PC, but just about guys that we wanted to do had all-toumey team selec­ evrything did. Granted, Ala­ this for.", added Abdullah. tions to add to their memo­ bama shot the ball extremely Following the thriller, the ries, in addition to the tour­ well all game. In the first crowd watched Georgetown nament MVP award for half, the Tide shot 60% from outmuscl an undermanned Smith. Simpkins summed the field with guard Marvin Seton Hall club for the sec­ things up best after the cel­ Orange going 5-6 from three ond spot in the finals. ebration: "Today, all the hard point land. But the Friars Ugly was the best ad­ work and everything we've were undone by the exact jective for Sunday's game as been through for the last 4 things that won the Big East well, synonymous with the years paid off by winning the title just four days before. Hoya pressure defense. If it Big East Championship." What cost PC this ballgame? weren't for PC's first-ever 1. The Friars came title hopes, this game could out looking a little shaky be considered anti-climactic. Eric Williams' 27 points and 7 rebounds made him one defensively and that trans­ of PC's few bright spots against Alabama, Nevertheless, Smith, aiding NCAA First Round lated into wide open looks the double-teamed Eric Wil­ ALABAMA 76 for the Alabama sharpshoot­ line all game long. In a sea- meant to be on this night.