Senior guard Ryan Betley scored 14 points and hit four threes in the first half against Providence.
Credit: Gary LinPROVIDENCE, R.I. — Penn men’s basketball has struggled shooting the three ball in its first four games of the season — but that has not been the case in Saturday’s contest against Providence.
The Quakers have knocked down seven threes and are shooting 50% from that range, and they currently lead the Friars, 47-30. The game was a back-and-forth affair initially, but an early Penn (2-2) run put the group ahead, and the Quakers haven't looked back. The senior duo of AJ Brodeur and Ryan Betley are leading the way with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Betley has been on fire from three-point range, with four in the first half, while Brodeur has been getting his way down low.
As a team, Penn has been strong in the paint, as both Betley and Brodeur have made tough layups inside. The duo extended the Quakers’ lead to 11 with 6:36 remaining in the half, which forced Providence (4-1) coach Ed Cooley to call timeout and regroup. But even after that break, Providence was unable to handle Penn's ball movement and low-post work.
On the other end, the Friars have put an emphasis on getting the ball to their own big men down low, but strong interior defense by the Red and Blue has made life difficult for Providence. The Friars have just 10 points in the paint, compared to Penn’s 24. Perhaps the biggest disparity is the overall shooting of the two teams thus far: Providence is shooting 36.7% from the field, while the Red and Blue have connected on 57.6% of their attempts.
Check back after the game for a full recap.
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