PROVIDENCE — Josh Oduro went from changing diapers to flipping NCAA Tournament possibilities in the course of a few short hours.
Tuesday felt like something approaching an elimination game with respect to March Madness, and the new dad saved his best for the second half against St. John’s.
Oduro was fantastic down the stretch and Providence earned a Big East season split with the Red Storm that was sorely needed. The Friars dodged a couple of potential tying 3-pointers to post a 75-72 victory at Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Oduro netted all but two of his game-high 28 points after the break, returning froma one-game absence over the weekend. That came in a tense loss at Butler, as he and wife Caroline welcomed son Gabriel. Oduro didn’t travel to face the Bulldogs and arrived in the figurative sense just in time to save Providence here — this result could carrymeaning beyond just these 40 minutes.
“It’s basically March right now with what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to accomplish, what we’re playing for, the teams we’re playing against,” Providence coach Kim English said. “All these teams are difficult.”
Oduro’s hook shot along the right baseline with 41.5 seconds left and Devin Carter’s lone free throw with 19.9 seconds to play gave the Friars a one-possession edge. Daniss Jenkins caught nothing but air with a jumper from the right wing, but Zuby Ejiofor grabbed his team’s17th offensive rebound of the evening to offer a second chance. Jordan Dingle’s jumper from out high was partially blocked by Oduro, and Jayden Pierre fired the loose ball into the frontcourt to run out the clock.
“We know they’re going to offensive rebound,” Providence guard Ticket Gaines said. “It was preached to us throughout the game and leading up to the game we were going to have to put our hardhats on.”
Providence repeated some of the mistakes that translated into a lost lead against the Bulldogs, but they ultimately weren’t punished here. Oduro gave them too much of a cushion — 69-62 with 5:42 left thanks to a pair of free throws. His layup on the fast break with 7:31 to play came thanks to a sprint down the floor that beat fellow center Joel Soriano.
“The time off might have been good for him,” English said. “He played a lot of minutes against Creighton. I think it did him well.”
That overtime victory against the Bluejays would help anyone’s case on Selection Sunday. This one should do the same — the Friars and St. John’s were both squarely on the bubble entering the evening and played with tangible desperation. Providence raced to a 28-15 lead in the first half before the Red Storm hit back, taking a 38-33 advantage into the locker room.
“We understand basketball is a game of runs,” Gaines said. “We’ve got to withstand the run, cap it off at six, seven — regroup. I think it speaks to the group just staying focused.”
An approaching winter storm led to some speculation about whether or not this one would be played as scheduled. The Friars (16-9, 7-7 Big East) prevailed in front of 10,258 fans — students arrived early after enjoying a day of canceled classes. Providence has dropped just five of its last 49 games here and improved to 5-1 this season on this floor against members of the current KenPom.com top 50.
“It’s like the NBA playoffs,” English said. “This league, I can’t talk enough. Even after losses, we’re in the locker room and we’re like, ‘Man, this league is so good.’ ”
St. John’s (14-11, 6-8) dropped its fifth straight league road game and fell to 1-6 away from home against conference foes. RJ Luis Jr. totaled 16 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Red Storm in both categories. Jenkins chipped in 13 points on as many shots and Sean Conway knocked down three 3-pointers to account for nine of his 11 points.
“You feel it when we lose,” English said. “Everyone in Providence on campus is going through the loss. I don’t go to lunch on campus when we lose. I don’t want to be seen.
“They’re with us.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
ST. JOHN'S (72): Ejiofor 3-3 1-2 7, Ledlum 3-6 0-0 6, Dingle 3-11 0-1 8, Jenkins 5-13 2-2 13, Luis 7-14 2-2 16, Conway 3-6 2-2 11, Soriano 3-8 3-6 9, Alleyne 0-4 0-0 0, Wilcher 1-1 0-0 2, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Traore 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 28-69 10-15 72.
PROVIDENCE (75): Oduro 9-16 9-10 28, Barron 4-8 0-0 10, Carter 3-7 7-9 14, Gaines 3-7 3-3 11, Pierre 2-6 0-1 5, Floyd 3-6 0-1 7, Dual 0-0 0-0 0, Castro 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 24-51 19-24 75.
Halftime — St. John's 38-33. 3-point goals — St. John's 6-23 (Conway 3-4, Dingle 2-6, Jenkins 1-6, Alleyne 0-2, Ledlum 0-2, Luis 0-3), Providence 8-20 (Barron 2-5, Gaines 2-6, Carter 1-2, Floyd 1-2, Oduro 1-2, Pierre 1-3). Fouled out — Soriano. Rebounds — St. John's 38 (Luis 14), Providence 29 (Carter 11). Assists — St. John's 10 (Jenkins 3), Providence 15 (Pierre 5). Total fouls — St. John's 19, Providence 15. Records — St. John's 14-11, Providence 16-9.
