Josh Oduro’s 2nd Half Performance Leads Providence Past St. John’s

Oduro's Strong Second Half Helps PC Hold Off St. John's Tuesday

Oduro's Strong Second Half Helps PC Hold Off St. John's Tuesday | Image: Providence Now ABC6/YouTube

Empowered by Josh Oduro’s strong display in the latter half, the Providence Friars triumphed over St. John’s with a score of 75-72 on their home court on Tuesday.

Oduro showcased 28 points on the scoreboard, with a significant 26 points coming post-intermission. However, his pivotal moment occurred at the conclusion of the game when he blocked Jordan Dingle‘s potential game-tying 3-point shot in the final moments.

St. John’s remained behind for the majority of the match but seized the opportunity when the Friars had a dry spell in scoring, lasting over six minutes towards the end of the second period.

In a clutch moment, Daniss Jenkins equaled the score at 70-70 with a successful jump shot and 1:37 remaining.

Providence’s Corey Floyd Jr. and Oduro swiftly responded with consecutive baskets, breaking the scoring drought and reclaiming the lead.

Devin Carter contributed a noteworthy 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. Despite enduring a head injury just 23 seconds into the game during a scramble for possession, Davonte Gaines managed to return later in the first half and concluded the game with 11 points. Rich Barron also added 10 points to the scoreboard.

R.J. Luis Jr. led the charge for St. John’s with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Jenkins tallied 13 points, while Sean Conway offered 11 points coming off the bench.

Red Storm’s captain Joel Soriano, who had been replaced in the starting lineup by Zuby Ejiofor due to recent struggles, racked up nine points and seven rebounds before fouling out.

St. John’s (14-11, 6-8) made a compelling comeback after a sluggish start that saw them trailing by as many as 13 points within the first nine minutes of the game.

Gaines reentered the game in time to sink a crucial 3-pointer, extending Providence’s lead to 28-15, the largest margin of the game, with 9:42 left in the initial half.

St. John’s rallied and closed the first half with a dominant 23-5 surge, securing a 38-33 advantage at halftime.

The competition remained intense throughout the remainder of the match. A three-point play executed by Oduro propelled the Friars to a 52-50 lead with 14:22 remaining in the following half.

Despite St. John’s managing to level the score on two separate occasions thereafter, the Friars never surrendered their lead. 

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