Providence Friars Drop Exhibition at Pittsburgh but Impress with Early Chemistry

By Tiffany Williams –

Providence came out hot but couldn’t hang on, falling to Pittsburgh in an exhibition matchup Sunday at the Petersen Events Center. Despite the loss, the Friars showed plenty of early-season promise behind a strong effort from Jason Edwards and Duncan Powell.

Edwards led all scorers with 19 points, while Powell added 17 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double performance. It was a physical tune-up against an ACC opponent, and head coach Kim English saw positives in the loss. “It was a great opportunity for us to get back on the court this season,” English said. “We got off to a great start and played well. I’m really excited to get back to Providence and rewatch the game to correct some things and get ready for Harvard in less than a week and Holy Cross on November third.”

Providence came out firing early. Jaylin Sellers opened the scoring with a layup, and Powell and Edwards followed with a barrage of threes that gave the Friars a 16-6 lead just four minutes in. Jamier Jones threw down a breakaway dunk to cap an 11-0 run that had the Friars in control. But Pitt steadied themselves, chipping away with a 6-0 run before knocking down back-to-back threes to grab their first lead at 29-25. The Panthers ended the half on an 8-2 burst and went into the locker room up 41-31. Edwards had 13 first-half points to keep Providence in it.

Sellers opened the second half with a three, and Ryan Mela’s coast-to-coast finish cut the deficit to single digits. Stefan Vaaks provided a spark off the bench, scoring five straight to bring the Friars within eight. With eight minutes left, Providence entered the bonus and began attacking the paint. Jones slammed home his second dunk, Vaaks hit a midrange jumper, and Powell drilled a second-chance three to make it a one-possession game with just over six minutes to play.

That was as close as it got. Pitt answered with an 8-0 run, pushing the lead back to double digits at 77-64. Late threes from Powell and Corey Floyd Jr. weren’t enough to close the gap as the Panthers held on.

Providence had three players in double figures — Edwards with 19, Powell with 17, and Sellers with 11. The Friars won the rebounding battle 43-38 but were outscored 40-32 in the paint. Four Pitt players finished in double figures.

The Friars have historically dominated exhibition play, holding a 68-25 all-time record, but this one was about evaluation, not the scoreboard. It was their first trip to the Petersen Events Center since 2012, and the effort reflected a team still finding its rhythm.

Providence will return home to host Harvard in an exhibition game Saturday, October 25 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m., with the game streaming on Friars Live.