Providence, — Dre Davis led Seton Hall to a hard-fought 61-57 victory over No. 23 Providence on Wednesday night, showcasing a stellar performance with 17 points. The Pirates (9-5, 2-1 Big East) clinched their second consecutive road win in Rhode Island, marking their second triumph against a ranked opponent this season, despite facing challenges with a 36.2 percent shooting accuracy.
Kadary Richmond contributed significantly with 16 points and six assists, while Dylan Addae-Wusu posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Al-Amir Dawes also made a notable impact, tallying 12 points.
Providence (11-3, 2-1) faced adversity, losing their leading rebounder Bryce Hopkins to an apparent knee injury early in the second half. Despite the setback, Josh Oduro led the Friars with a game-high 23 points, and Devin Carter added 10 points and 10 boards. Carter also contributed six assists and three steals.
Seton Hall closed the first half with authority, orchestrating a 19-5 run to establish control. The Pirates maintained their grip through a physical start to the second half, with Dre Davis’ 3-pointer extending their lead to 37-29.
In the second half, Jayden Pierre’s 3-pointer at the 9:31 mark narrowed Providence’s deficit to 44-42. The Friars took a brief lead at 47-46 after Corey Floyd Jr.’s layup following a lob from Devin Carter with 6:37 left. However, Seton Hall responded, and Amir Dawes scored five consecutive points, giving the Pirates a 55-51 lead with 4:05 remaining.
Amir Dawes’ reverse layup at 1:53 increased Seton Hall’s lead to 59-53. Although Oduro managed a layup for Providence with 17 seconds left, it was the Friars’ sole field goal in the final five minutes. Oduro missed a crucial layup opportunity with eight seconds left, preventing Providence from tying the score.
The first half saw Seton Hall responding to Oduro’s opening layup with an 8-0 spurt, with Richmond contributing five points during that run. Seton Hall entered halftime with a 29-24 lead, courtesy of Addae-Wusu’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
