M. hoops slow cooks Friars

For cross-town rivals, the men's basketball teams from Brown and Providence College could not be further apart. The Friars play in possibly the best basketball league in the country, the Big East, have qualified for the NCAA tournament 15 times and owned a 87-25 edge in the Brown-PC series heading into Saturday night's showdown.

Brown is coming off a 10-17 season after which its coach left for Ivy League rival the University of Pennsylvania. Its star player spent the summer mulling a possible transfer, and its new coach had to prepare for the season in a hurry because he was hired in late June.

On top of all that, two of Brown's top players - Chris Skrelja '09 and Damon Huffman '08 - are on the shelf with leg injuries, and starting forward Mark MacDonald '08 was limited to three minutes of playing time after hurting his calf prior to Saturday's game. Brown was forced to play four of its starters for 35 minutes or more.

None of that mattered on Saturday night as Brown held Providence without a field goal for the final 7:57 of the game en route to a shocking 51-41 victory.

The win was Brown's first against Providence since 2001 and only its third victory in the teams' last 24 meetings. It was also first-year Head Coach Craig Robinson's first career victory and Brown's first win of the season. Brown moved to 1-3 on the year, and the Friars fell to 1-1.

Asked if his first win could have come at a better a time, Robinson responded with a laugh.

"It could have come in the first three games," he said. "Since it couldn't, this is a game that means a lot to the city, it means a lot to Brown, it means a lot to Providence (College) and it means a lot to those kids in (our) locker room. They played with these guys all summer so at least we've got bragging rights for a while."

The Bears' stifling defense was the crucial factor in Saturday's success. The Friars' 41 points was their lowest total against the Bears since World War II: Brown held Providence to a measly 36 points in a 70-36 victory on Jan. 22, 1945.

It took the Friars the majority of the first half to solve Brown's tenacious 1-3-1 zone. The Bears held a 16-15 advantage with five minutes left in the half thanks in part to the pressure that forward Keenan Jeppesen '08 and guards Mark McAndrew '08 and Marcus Becker '07 were able to put on Providence point guard Sharaud Curry.

In the second half, the Bears came out in a 2-3 match-up zone that proved even more effective. The switch in style put even more pressure on Providence's outside shooters by clogging the middle of the floor. The Friars were held to 1-for-14 from three-point range.

"We just try and mix (the defenses)," Robinson said. "I don't want to give all my secrets away, but if people get too used to playing against our defense, they'll get good at (beating) it after awhile."

Brown started off the game strong with McAndrew and Jeppesen hitting back-to-back threes and forward Nathan Eads '07 throwing down a dunk after a Becker steal. The teams traded buckets until PC went on a 12-3 run to close the half.

Eads kept Brown in the game with his first-half performance, making four out of five shots and coming up with a key block from behind on a Providence fast break. Eads had a stellar game, finishing with a career-high 16 points and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line down the stretch. He also added four rebounds, drew a crucial charge late in the second half and committed no turnovers on the night.

"I stayed here in the summer and was able to play with those guys," Eads said of Providence's taller front line. "I knew I'd be able to do it and I knew what we were capable of, so there really wasn't too much hesitation. … This is definitely one of the highlights of my career."

In the second half, Brown's patience proved to be the difference. The Bears milked the shot clock throughout the game, limiting the Friars' opportunities to score. This strategy paid off when the Bears converted at the end of the shot clock on a number of opportunities.

Brown took the lead for good at 39-37, when Jeppesen drove to the hole for a layup and drew a foul at the 5:25 mark with seven seconds remaining on the shot clock. A few possessions later, the shot clock was winding down when McAndrew found Becker just above the elbow. Becker drove the lane and dished to a cutting Matt Mullery '10, who converted the layup just before the buzzer. The shot extended the Bears' lead to 42-37 with 2:55 left to play, and Providence did not get any closer the rest of the way.

Jeppesen, who considered transferring after former Head Coach Glen Miller left last spring but decided to stay at Brown, had an up-and-down night. His 13 points were second to Eads, and his five rebounds led the undersized Bears. Jeppesen, however, shot only 4-for-13 and finished with nine turnovers.

"I feel like I'm in a little bit of a slump right now," Jeppesen said. "You just have to shake things off and focus on the next play."

Despite his struggles, Jeppesen's steal with 1:23 to go ended any hopes Providence had of staving off the Bears, and his defense was impressive all night.

"Keenan is our glue and he played a brilliant second half," Robinson said. "Even though he threw the ball away a couple of times … he made his foul shots and got his hands on the ball on defense."

Despite playing without three of its top players, Brown stayed out of foul trouble and made the Friars pay for every mistake. Providence never adjusted to the Bears' zone or matched their intensity. As a result, the Friars dropped their first game to Brown in five years.

Brown will travel to Northwestern University, Robinson's previous employer, on Tuesday.