Pittsburg, PA
Men’s Basketball Exhibition Game Notes At Pittsburgh – Providence College Athletics

Friar Notes:
*The Friars have posted a 68-23 mark all-time in exhibition games.
*Sunday’s contest will mark the Friars’ first game at the Petersen Events Center since January 25, 2012.
*The Friars have posted a 0-7 mark all-time in the Petersen Events Center.
*The Friars are 2-0 all-time vs. Holy Cross in season openers.
*The Friars have 10 newcomers and five returnees on the roster this season.
*Oswin Erhunmwunse and Ryan Mela were named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team on March 9, 2025.
*Oswin Erhunmwunse ranked second in the BIG EAST in blocked shots (1.63) and third in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (2.44) last season.
*Oswin Erhunmwunse’s five blocks vs. Seton Hall on 1/11 was just the sixth time ever a Friar freshman had five or more blocks in a game and just the second time in a BIG EAST game.
*Ryan Mela was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on 1/13 and 1/20. He was the first Friar to earn the honor in consecutive weeks since A.J. Reeves in 2019.
*Corey Floyd Jr., has 505 career points in 92 games at PC, his father, Corey Floyd Sr., scored 341 points in 56 games with Friars from 1990-92.
*Duncan Powell needs nine points to reach 1,000 for his career. He scored 239 points in one season of action at North Carolina A&T, 350 points in one season at Sacramento State and 402 points in one season at Georgia Tech.
*The Friars were 10-6 at home in 2024-25; 2-9 on the road and 0-5 in neutral site games.
*Kim English was one of 19 NCAA Div. 1 head coaches in 2024-25 who played in the NBA.
*The Friars are 642 -249 (.722) all-time at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
*The Friars had a number of players miss games last season with injuries. Friar players missed a combined 61 games in 2024-25 with injuries and illness.
Friars To Play At Pittsburgh In An Exhibition Game On October 19: The Providence College men’s basketball team will play at Pittsburgh in an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. The game will be played at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. It will mark the Friars’ first game at the Petersen Events Center since January 25, 2012 when the Friars were defeated by the Panthers, 86-74. The Friars have posted a 17-31 mark all-time versus the Panthers. The Friars are 13-10 at home, 3-20 at Pittsburgh and 1-1 in neutral arenas versus Pittsburgh. In the first meeting ever between the two teams, Providence defeated Pitt, 101-80, at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 1975 in New York. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Friars were defeated by the Panthers, 68-64, on January 22, 2013 in Providence at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Friars To Host Harvard In An Exhibition Game On October 25: The Providence College men’s basketball team will host Harvard an exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. The game will be played at the Amica Mutual Pavilion and will be streamed live on Friars live at Friars.com. The Friars have posted a 6-0 mark all time versus the Crimson. The Friars are 4-0 at home and 2-0 on the road versus Harvard. In the first meeting ever between the two teams, Providence defeated Harvard, 37-25, in Cambridge, Mass., on January 20, 1932. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Friars defeated the Crimson, 76-64, on November 14, 2015 in Providence at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Friars All-Time In Exhibition Games: The Friars have posted a 68-23 mark all-time in exhibition games. Last season, the Friars defeated UMass, 63-54, in an exhibition game on October 26, 2024.
Friars To Play Holy Cross To Open Season: The Friars will open the 2025-26 season versus Holy Cross on Monday, November 3 at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars have posted a 43-28 mark all-time versus Holy Cross, including a 2-0 record in season openers. The last time PC played Holy Cross in an opener, the Friars defeated Holy Cross, 63-57 on November 18, 2001 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The last time the two teams met, the Friars earned a 70-61 win at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on November 13, 2018. Providence has posted a 27-10 mark all-time versus Holy Cross at home.
Friars Vs. The Patriot League: The Friars have posted a 74-38 mark all-time versus teams from the Patriot League.
Friars All-Time In Season Openers: The Friars will open their 99th season of basketball on Monday, November 3 versus Holy Cross at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Friars have registered an 87-11 (.888) mark all-time in regular-season openers. In addition, the Friars hold a 90-8 (.918) record in home openers. The Friars open the 2025-26 season at home for the 25th time in 26 years. The only time in the past 25 seasons the Friars did not open at home was the 2007-08 season, when they played Temple in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Providence has won 22 of the last 23 openers, with the lone defeat coming in the 2008-09 game against Northeastern. Last season, the Friars opened the season with a 59-55 win over Central Connecticut at the AMP on November 4, 2024.
Friars In 2024-25: The Friars, who finished the regular season in eighth place in the BIG EAST with a 6-14 record, recorded 12-20 record overall in 2024-25. Providence posted a 0-1 mark in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Mela And Erhunmwunse Named To BIG EAST All-Freshman Team: Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.) and Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) were named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, which was announced by the league office on March 9, 2025. It marked just the second time in program history that two Friar freshmen earned All-Freshman Team honors in the same season, joining the ranks of Sharaud Curry and Geoff McDermott who were named to the All-Freshman Team in 2006. Erhunmwunse led the team in field goal percentage (72.3 percent), rebounds (179/5.6 rpg), and blocks (52/1.6 bpg). He started 24 of 32 games last season, Erhunmwunse averaged 6.8 ppg in his first season as a Friar . He ranked second in the BIG EAST in blocks per game (1.63) and third in offensive rebounding (2.71). At 72.3 percent, Erhunmwunse connected on 94 of his 130 attempts from the field. He recorded his first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Seton Hall on Jan. 11. Mela earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors twice in his rookie season (Jan. 13 and Jan. 20). He concluded the season with 186 points (6.4 points per game) and appeared in 29 games, starting nine. He averaged 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. In league action, Mela led all BIG EAST freshmen in rebounds per game (6.2) and defensive rebounds per game (5.2). He recorded two double-doubles on the season, including his first one on Jan. 8 against Butler where Mela finished with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
Corey Floyd Returns For His Fourth Season With The Friars: Red shirt senior Corey Floyd (Franklin, N.J.) returns for his fourth season with the Friars. Floyd had his most productive year at PC in 2024-25 as he started 25 of the 29 games he played. He averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. He shot 32.4 percent (22-68) from three-point territory and 80.0 percent (64-80) from the free-throw line. Floyd began his career at UConn in 2021-22 and transferred to Providence prior to the 2022-23 season.
Friars All-Time Versus Top-25 Teams: The Friars have posted a 133-289 (.315) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 0-5 mark in 2025-26.
Erhunmwunse Contributed: Freshman center Oswin Erhunmwunse (Benin City, Nigeria) recorded eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks at Marquette on Feb. 25. He scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds versus Xavier on Feb. 12. He registered 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks in a win at Seton Hall on Jan. 28. He scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and had two blocks, while shooting 5-6 from the field in the Friars’ win over Georgetown on Jan. 25. Erhunmwunse shot 72.3 percent (94-130) from the field in 2024-25. He recorded his first career double-double, contributing 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the Friars’ win over Seton Hall on Jan. 11. He also added a career-high five blocks. It marked the first time a Friar freshman had five blocks in a game since 2011. It also marked just the second time ever a Friar freshman had five blocks in a BIG EAST game. For the season, he averaged 6.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Mela Had A Strong Season: Freshman guard Ryan Mela (Natick, Mass.) recorded a career-high 18 points and six rebounds versus DePaul on March 5. He registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds versus Xavier on Feb. 12. He was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Jan. 13 and Jan. 20. Mela became the first Friar to earn the accolade multiple times in a season since A.J. Reeves was named Freshman of the Week three times in 2019. Mela was named BIG EAST Freshman Of The Week on Monday, Jan. 20 after he scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, added three assists and made one steal in the Friars’ loss at Creighton on Jan. 14. Mela was ill and did not play in the Friars’ game at Villanova on Jan. 17. Mela earned Freshman of the Week on Jan. 13, after he averaged 8.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals as the Friars posted a 2-0 mark. On Jan. 8 in a win over Butler, the freshman guard had 10 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals. It marked the first time a Friar freshman had 15 rebounds since LaDontae Henton had 15 versus DePaul on Feb. 25, 2012. On Jan. 11, Mela recorded seven points, nine rebounds, five assists and one steal in a victory over Seton Hall. For the season, Mela is averaged 6.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Friars Have 10 Newcomers For 2025-26: Providence College Head Coach Kim English added 10 new players to the team for 2025-26. Graduate students Jason Edwards (Atlanta, Ga.), Jaylin Sellers (Columbus, Ga.) and Duncan Powell (Dallas, Texas) have all played at a high level. Edwards averaged 17.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game at Vanderbilt in 2024-25. Sellers, who was injured last season, averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 2023-24 at UCF. Powell averaged 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds at Georgia Tech. Senior Cole Hargrove (Norristown, Pa.) comes to the Friars after spending three years at Drexel. In his junior season at Drexel, the 6-8 forward averaged 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds. Sophomore Daquan Davis (Baltimore, Md.) spent his freshman season at Florida State. The second-year point guard averaged 8.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season for the Seminoles. Freshmen Peteris Pinnis (Salaspils, Latvia) and Stefan Vaaks (Tabasalu, Estonia) both played in Europe last year. Pinnis averaged 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in the Latvia-Estonia Basketball League. Vaaks averaged 15.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 2024-25. Freshmen Jaylen Harrell (Boston, Mass.) and Jamier Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) were both ranked in the top-100 coming out of high school. Harrell, the 2025 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists at Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science Academy. He was ranked in the top-100 by 247Sports (No. 85), Rivals (No. 85) and On3 (No. 88). On3 and 247Sports each ranked Harrell as the top recruit in Massachusetts for 2025. Jones averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists at Oak Ridge High School. He was a consensus four-star recruit, was the 44th ranked player in the nation and the No. 12 forward, according to ESPN.com. He also ranked 37th (ninth in his position) by On3, 43rd by Rivals (15th in his position) and 45th (11th in his position) by 247Sports. Graduate student Jack Williams (Ann Arbor, Mich.) joins the team as a walk-on.
Friar Games On FOX, FS1, TNT, truTV, ESPN+ And Peacock: The Friar games will air nationally this season on FOX, FS1, TNT, truTV, ESPN+ and Peacock this season. It will mark the first time ever the Friars will have regular-season games televised on TNT and TruTV.
Friars Sell Out Season Tix Again In 2025-26: In 2023-24, the Friars sold out of season tickets at the Amica Mutual Pavilion for the first time ever. Again in 2025-26, the team sold its entire season ticket allotment for the arena. It marked the third consecutive season that the Friars sold out of season tickets. In 2024-25, at total of 167,978 fans watched the Friars at the AMP in 16 home games. It was an average of 10,499 fans – the ninth highest single season average at the AMP. The 2023-24 season marked the first time a complete sell out of season tickets occurred since the team moved to the AMP when it opened in 1972. As a result, the Friars had 211,147 fans watch the team play 19 games at the AMP. That average of 11,113 per game is the highest single-season mark in the history of the program. The total of 211,147 is the second highest amount of fans to watch the Friars at home in the history of the program. In 1991, 211,498 fans attended 20 home games at the AMP. The 211,147 fans in 2023-24, also marked just the second time in the history of the program that the team drew more than 200,000 fans in a single season.
Friars Are 110-6 In Non-Conference Home Games Over The Last 15 Years: The Friars have posted a 110-6 mark (.948) in their last 15 seasons in non-conference home games. The team’s six losses over the last 15 years were to Brown (77-67) on December 8, 2014, Minnesota (86-74) on November 13, 2017, UMass (79-78) on December 7, 2018, Arkansas (84-72) on March 19, 2019, Penn (81-75) on November 23, 2019 and Boston College (62-57) on March 19, 2024. The Friars are 32-1 in their last 33 non-conference home games (2024-25, 6-0; 2023-24, 8-1; 2022-23, 7-0; 2021-22, 8-0; 2020-21, 2-0; 2019-20, 2-0).
Friars In Overtime: The Friars recorded a 1-0 record in overtime games in 2024-25. They have recorded a 80-71 mark all-time in overtime games, including 10-2 in their last 21 games. The Friars are 8-0 in their last eight overtime games at the AMP.
Friars At The Amica Mutual Pavilion: All-time, the Friars have recorded a 642-249 (.721) mark in 52 seasons of games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The AMP, formerly the Providence Civic Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, opened on November 3, 1972. The Friars had played their home games there for 48 consecutive seasons, prior to the 2020-21 season when the team played on campus at Alumni Hall with no fans in attendance due to the pandemic. PC posted a 15-2 mark at the AMP in 2022-23 and a 16-1 record in 2021-22 — the team’s best record at home since 1973-74.
Providence College Basketball: The 2025-26 campaign marks the 99 th season of basketball at Providence College. Since the program started in 1926-27, Providence has posted a 1,576 -1,060 mark, good for a .600 winning percentage. The Friars have made the NCAA Tournament 22 times and the National Invitation Tournament on 21 occasions.

Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Speedy WR Next Up for Extension?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been proactive in handing out extensions to some of their homegrown players on both sides of the ball over the past year or so, and it appears one of their wide receivers could be next in line for a pay day.
During a Steelers chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac stated that he believes it’s likely Calvin Austin III is in order for an extension from the organization after the 2025 campaign concludes.
“Yes, he is next up more than likely,” Dulac wrote.
After posting a total of 2,541 yards and 22 touchdowns on 156 catches from 2018 to 2021 at the University of Memphis, where he was teammates with Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers selected Austin in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He did not play as a rookie, however, due to a foot injury that eventually landed him on season-ending injured reserve. Austin returned in 2023 and appeared in all 17 of Pittsburgh’s games, finishing with 17 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown while playing 374 offensive snaps.
The 2024 campaign was where Austin displayed his true potential, though, starting eight of the Steelers’ 17 contests while recording 548 yards and four scores on 36 receptions. He also had a 73-yard punt return touchdown vs. the New York Giants in Week 8.
Austin has become even more integral to Pittsburgh’s offense this season, playing 75 percent of the unit’s snaps when healthy, per Pro Football Reference, while racking up 139 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches.
He went down with a shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, though, and he’s in danger of missing a second-straight game in Week 7 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals while on the mend.
Outside of DK Metcalf, who the Steelers acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in March and immediately handed a four-year extension worth $132 million, Austin is the only receiver on the team’s roster who has proven himself to be a reliable weapon at the position.
As Pittsburgh’s primary punt returner, he’s become a valuable component of what the team does on special teams as well. Considering the organization has struggled to put together a complete receiver room with adequate depth over recent years, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to let a homegrown player like Austin walk in free agency this upcoming offseason once his rookie contract expires.
Though an extension would likely cost upwards of $10 million in average annual value, that’s a price worth paying for the Steelers. Austin is still just 26-years-old and only seems to be growing within Arthur Smith’s offense, and he’d lay a strong long-term foundation at receiver next to Metcalf should he ink a new deal with the team.
Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh man accused of starving 4 dogs, leading to one’s death

A Pittsburgh man is accused of starving his dogs so badly that one of them died.
Investigators said they found four pitbulls inside Xavier Williams’ Marshall-Shadelane apartment. One of the dogs is dead, while the other three were too weak to stand.
The criminal complaint details a level of neglect that police officers described as “extreme.” Officers found the dogs after they were called to the apartment on Sunday. The call came from Williams’ ex-wife, who found one of their dogs, “lying in a cage, barely breathing, surrounded by urine and feces,” according to police.
The dog was taken to an emergency animal hospital. Investigators said the dog was too weak to move and too frail to hold up his head. The dog later died from starvation and neglect, officials said.
According to the criminal complaint, the three other pitbulls in the apartment were so severely malnourished that their bones were visible, and they were unable to stand on their own.
Police noted that there was no water or food in the cages, and the deplorable conditions resulted in visible wounds. The three dogs were removed by animal control and taken to Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh.
“He mistreated them all the time. He’d walk by and hit them,” one neighbor said.
According to the criminal complaint, when Williams was questioned by police, he blamed his ex-wife for not taking care of them. But detectives say she had been sending him $135 a month for dog supplies and even offered receipts to prove it.
He was released on non-monetary bond. His preliminary hearing is set for next month.
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Officially Have Pass Rush Trio
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ elite pass rush is officially upgraded from a duo to a trio after their defensive masterclass against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers walked out of their Week 6 contest with a decisive 23-9 victory, holding Cleveland to three field goals and zero touchdowns in their first meeting of the 2025 season.
Leading the defensive charge for the Steelers once again was outside linebacker Nick Herbig. Even with the return of Alex Highsmith from injury, Herbig’s star shone brightest in Week 6. He led the edge rushers in sacks (2), tackles for loss (2), and quarterback pressures (4), and spent the entire afternoon terrorizing Browns’ rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
The rise for Herbig is meteoric, going from replacement to next defensive star in a matter of weeks. As his stock continues its ascent, the Steelers have found a way to keep all three of their elite rushers on the field.
On several third downs, the Steelers deployed all three of Herbig, HIghsmith and T.J. Watt. This choice forced Cleveland to constantly adjust its protections on offense, and that confusion helped the Steelers land so many QB pressures and tackles in the backfield.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the game that Herbig’s performance has earned him the nod as the 12th starter on defense.
“He’s playing at a pretty high level,” Tomlin stated. “That’s why I introduced 12 defenders today.”
What made this performance even more special for Herbig was the quarterback on the other side. Herbig and Gabriel are very familiar with one another. The two were both born in Hawaii and faced off during their high school football days. Long before either was an NFL difference-maker, they were battling for state championships in the last one to join the United States of America.
In 2018, Herbig recorded four sacks in the championship game. His St. Louis Crusaders sacked Gabriel nine times en route to a win and the Crusaders’ third consecutive state title.
Seven years later, Herbig was again causing nightmares for Gabriel.
Through five games, Herbig is off to the best start of his NFL career. Even after missing the first game of the year due to injury, he’s accumulated 12 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble and interception each as well. He’s on pace to reach double-digits in sacks for the first time in his young tenure in Pittsburgh, and he should continue to receive significant opportunity to continue his breakout campaign.
Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!
-
Augusta, GA5 days ago
‘Boom! Blew up right there’: Train slams into semi in Grovetown
-
Wisconsin6 days ago
Appleton Public Library wins 2025 Wisconsin Library of the Year award for distinguished service
-
Business6 days ago
Los Angeles Times Media Group takes step to go public
-
Virginia6 days ago
Match 13 Preview: #8 Virginia
-
Vermont6 days ago
Feds: Springfield dealer ran his drug business from Vermont jail
-
West Virginia1 week ago
West Virginia eatery among Yelp’s “outrageous outdoor dining spots”
-
News6 days ago
What we know about the charges against New York’s Attorney General Letitia James
-
Politics6 days ago
Spanberger refuses to urge Jay Jones to exit race, dodges questions after ‘two bullets’ texts