Providence Friars go old school and almost pull off huge comeback against former coach Pitino

It was almost a storybook ending for the Providence College Friars — almost. The Friars trailed by 19 points with only ten minutes left in the game. The offense had only managed to score 34 points in the first 30 minutes of the game, most of it coming from the hot, long distance shooting of one player, Jabri Abdur-Rahim. The Friars trailed Rick Pitino's St. John's team, 53-34. The Friars hadn't shown any reason to even consider the possibility of a comeback.

But sports can be funny like that. Inexplicably, the Friars offense exploded for 32 points in the final 10 minutes of the game. With 33 seconds left in the game, the score was tied, 66-66.

It was appropriate this game was played with Pitino on the sidelines. This game was a throwback to the old Big East battles of the 1980's when Pitino was coaching the Friars and Louie Carnesecca, RIP, was coaching St. John's. The crowd at Madison Square Garden was electric just like the old days.

Those final ten minutes by the Friars may be the best you see from this team all year. It harked back to Pitino's 1987 Providence team and some of the miraculous comebacks and big game shots that team made.

I was watching Abdur-Rahim burying big shot after big shot in the second half and it was as if I was back in 1987 watching Ernie "Pop" Lewis bury big-three pointers against Georgetown.

There was no fairytale ending for Providence fans in this one, however. St. John's Khadary Richmond hit a relatively easy, uncontested jumper in the paint with three seconds left to give the Red Storm a two-point lead. The Friars were without any timeouts so Providence's Bensley Joseph had no better option than to dribble up the court as quick as he could and hoist a half court shot which, really, had no chance.

It was an anti-climactic ending to an exciting final ten minutes of the game. The game deserved a better ending.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim came off the bench to go 8-for-11 from three-point range and finish with 27 points. Corey Floyd and Joseph brushed off horrid shooting nights to bury big three-pointers in those final moments of the game, but the team needed one big defensive stop at the end. They didn't get it.

The Friars fell to .500 on the season at 11-11. It is encouraging that the Friars gave 15th-ranked St. John's a scare on their home court. The team didn't quit. But at some point, fighting hard is not good enough. They need to learn how to win close games. Their record is only 1-5 in games decided by three or fewer points.

The Friars next play Wednesday night at home against the (16-6) Creighton Blue Jays.