70
63
Providence, RI -

The Providence Friars improved to 4-2 on the young season and also helped represent the Big East in the SEC v. Big East Challenge beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-3) 70-63 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI. The Friars were sparked by the return of Vincent Council who chipped in 14 points and added 4 assists. The Friars trailed 43-38 at halftime and struggled to guard the Bulldog shooters as they started 6-10 from downtown. The Friars were able to stop this in the second half however allowing only 20 points on poor shooting. PC was also fueled by a strong effort put forth by LaDontae Henton who added 14 points and 8 boards. Henton added after the game, "We knew we had to come out with a better defensive effort in the second half and we did. It helped us get into our offense and even get some buckets in transition." The Friars who are now winners of three straight can now look a little bit forward to their next few tests. PC will not leave the state of Rhode Island until January when they start conference play, however their next two are against in state rivals who pose challenges. Next up is a Saturday night date with the Brown Bears (1-5) at the Pitzola Center in Providence. This will be the first time the Friars travel to Brown since 2000. The Friars will then look ahead to their largest rival URI at the Dunk next Tuesday.