Providence College women’s basketball team lost to Marquette 69-65 in their regular-season finale on March 1 in Providence, Rhode Island. The Friars trailed by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter but managed to close the gap to four points with just over two minutes remaining. However, Marquette held on for the win.
With this result, Providence’s overall record stands at 14-17 and 7-13 in BIG EAST play. Marquette improved to 18-11 overall and 12-8 in the conference.
The Friars will enter the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 7 seed and are scheduled to play No. 10 seed DePaul in the first round on Friday, March 6 at 1:30 p.m. The tournament will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, with all games broadcast live on Peacock.
During the first quarter, Providence went on a 9-0 run to take a six-point lead but Marquette responded with a run of their own and led by one point after ten minutes. The Friars shot 77 percent from the field during this period but did not attempt any free throws.
In the second quarter, both teams traded baskets before Marquette built a five-point advantage late in the half. Providence closed strong and trailed by only one at halftime (38-37). Payton Dunbar led Providence scorers at halftime with 11 points, while Teneisia Brown and Sabou Gueye each added ten.
Marquette pulled away in the third quarter by outscoring Providence 21-8, building a double-digit lead heading into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, Providence narrowed the deficit with a significant scoring run but could not complete the comeback.
Sabou Gueye finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. According to game notes, “Gueye is just the third BIG EAST player in the last 15 years to record at least 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a BIG EAST game. She joined Aneesah Morrow (31 points, 22 rebounds, five assists and three blocks vs. Providence on 2/18/2023) and Maddy Siegrist (31 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks vs. DePaul on 1/4/2021).”
Dunbar contributed with 13 points—including her milestone fiftieth three-pointer of the season—four rebounds and two assists. She is now tied for sixteenth place in program history for threes made in a single season (52). Orlagh Gormley scored ten points along with five assists and three steals; Brown also had ten points plus five rebounds.
This marks Providence’s first loss this season when four players scored double figures (now holding a record of three wins and one loss under those circumstances). The Friars have won nine of eleven games when scoring at least sixty-five points.
Providence will next face DePaul in tournament play on March 6.
