Field Level Media
Dec 18, 2018
Alpha Diallo collected 20 points and 10 rebounds as Providence shook off an extremely slow start and pulled away for a 73-43 victory over Albany on Tuesday night at Providence, R.I.
Diallo made 6 of 12 shots as Providence (9-3) won its second straight game after a stunning home loss to Massachusetts on Dec. 7.
Maliek White made his second straight start in place of injured freshman A.J. Reeves and added 16 as the Friars shot 42.1 percent overall -- 60.7 percent in the second half -- and outscored Albany 50-23 after halftime in the second all-time meeting between the schools.
Albany (3-9) did not place a player in double figures and shot 30 percent, including 24 percent from 3-point range. The Great Danes also committed 22 turnovers and took their third straight loss.
Leading scorer Ahmad Clark was held to eight points while missing 12 of 14 shots, including all nine 3-point attempts. Clark also committed 10 turnovers.
Providence struggled to get into a shooting rhythm as it missed 12 of its first 15 shots and shot 30 percent in the first half. The Friars held a 23-20 lead by halftime and did not get the lead until a 3-pointer by Makai Ashton-Langford with 1:39 remaining.
The Friars started quickly in the second half, taking a 29-20 lead less than a minute in on a 3-pointer by White. Another 3-pointer by White gave Providence its first double-digit lead, 32-20, with 17:44 left, forcing Albany to burn a timeout. Albany scored its first points of the half on a 3-pointer by Cameron Healy with 17:21 to go, but baskets by Diallo and White upped the lead to 36-23 with about 16 minutes left.
The lead reached 15 on two free throws by White with 14:45 left, and a little over a minute later, Diallo's dunk pushed Providence's edge to 45-25. After getting the first 20-point lead, the Friars went on a 20-6 run to seal it with about five minutes left.
--Field Level Media