Providence rallies in 2nd half, denies Hampton upset win

Jayden Pierre and Bensley Joseph each scored 13 points to help Providence topple visiting Hampton 60-51 in Tuesday nonconference action in Rhode Island’s capital.The Friars (3-0) erased a 30-22 halftime deficit with the help of 8-2, 7-0 and 5-0 runs to take a 42-36 lead halfway through the latter period. A 9-0 sequence put the game out of reach late.Wesley Cardet added 10 points for the Friars, who also got six rebounds from Pierre and five assists from Joseph.Noah Farrakhan’s 16 points off the bench led Hampton (1-2), which went on a 16-0 run after falling behind 8-0. Fellow reserve Trevor Smith added 11 on three triples.Cardet and Joseph hit 3-pointers to bookend the Friars’ second-half spurts over 3:53 out of the break. After Tyler Rice’s jumper upped the Hampton lead to 34-30, the hosts’ 7-0 spurt included Corey Floyd’s putback following two offensive boards and a Joseph catch-and-shoot triple.Ryan Mela’s coast-to-coast layup closed the 6-0 spurt by the halfway mark, only to have Hampton’s Richard Goods and Smith hitting their first threes to tie the game with 9:03 left.A minute after Richard Barron’s left-corner three, Floyd scored the next two Providence baskets. His running dunk with 5:43 left gave Providence a 49-47 lead it would not relinquish.Another Cardet three and key free throws by Joseph iced the game.

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