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

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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.

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*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.

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*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.

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*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.  

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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.



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Reunited! Penguins Get the Other Twin Ruck in Round 2

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Reunited! Penguins Get the Other Twin Ruck in Round 2


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The Pittsburgh Penguins got what they wanted.

Friday night was life-changing for Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round pick Liam Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The organization selected him with the 22nd overall pick. Saturday morning was life-changing for his identical twin brother Markus Ruck as the Penguins used the first of their second-round picks to select him.

And the twins and teammates in Medicine Hat, who have spent only four days apart in their first 18 years, got what they wanted, too. They’re both Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas told reporters Friday night, following the conclusion of Round One, that it appeared more likely in the days leading to the draft that the team would not be able to trade up and that Liam Ruck would be available to them.

There were credible rumors emanating from the league side that some teams considered taking Markus to spur trade talks with the Penguins, but eventually, the other half of the WHL’s high-scoring duo was available Saturday morning with the 39th overall pick.

While Liam had 45 goals and 104 points in 68 games, Markus was the slick playmaking center who kept him fed. Markus Ruck had 108 points with 87 assists. Both brothers need to both add bulk but also improve their skating, which scouts consider a weakness.

Liam is the slightly larger twin, at 6-foot, 177 pounds. Markus weighs in at 6-foot, 167 pounds.

The story is developing, and Pittsburgh Hockey Now will update the story after Markus Ruck speaks with the media.

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Tags: Pittsburgh Penguins

Categorized:2026 NHL Draft Pittsburgh Penguins



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South Side Street Fest adds more metal detectors and ID scanner to speed up lines

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South Side Street Fest adds more metal detectors and ID scanner to speed up lines


The South Side Street Fest added additional metal detectors and ID scanners, plus a dedicated line for locals, to help people get in faster after long lines were reported for the event’s first outing last weekend.  

There were no lines at 11 p.m. on Friday, the event’s second night, but an organizer said Saturday, when they usually see larger crowds, will be a better test of the new measures. While attendees praised the event’s first night from a safety standpoint, with no arrests and an average number of citations issued, some criticized how long it took to get in on June 20.

“It’s a little overkill. I kind of had to wait 30 minutes,” Justin McCord said. “The line was just startling to me.”  

John DeMauro, a business owner and member of the South Side Hospitality Partnership, which is working with the city to put on the event, said leaders have heard the feedback.   

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“We got more people than we thought there [would be],” DeMauro said. “There was a little bit of a wait to get into the entrances.”

They’ve since added four ID scanners and two more metal detectors, he said.   

“We should be able to move those lines along fairly quickly this week,” DeMauro said.   

The event is restricted to people 21 and up, but anyone under 21 who lives within the footprint can still get through. They’ll be escorted to their homes, a police commander told KDKA-TV, adding that few kids live inside the event’s footprint.   

They also have a new solution for South Side residents to enter the footprint faster: a local lane pass. Acting just like a fast pass at an amusement park, those who have it can go through a dedicated entry line.

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“Wanted that to be quicker, wanted that to be not as cumbersome,” he said.   

Anyone who lives in the 15203 zip code, which covers the entire South Side, can register for the pass online, he said. At the 18th Street security checkpoint on Friday, residents had to show their ID with the 15203 zip code to go through the local lane.   

Because the zip code is used, it means it’s not just for people who live inside the footprint. Anyone who lives on the South Side can enter using the pass, for instance, if they want to grab something from a corner store. Fifty people had registered as of 7 p.m. on Friday.   

The line also helps to get delivery drivers through, Zone 3’s police commander said.   

A bar owner within the footprint told KDKA-TV last week that during the fest’s debut, they saw a lot of people on the street but fewer in bars. But because it’s so early, they said they weren’t concerned.

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“I think that’s the general consensus,” DeMauro said. “It was a really good start to it, but our intention is to make it grow. I think that’s the biggest thing we want people to understand.”   

He added that the intention moving forward is to keep listening to feedback and making changes to improve the festival. He also encouraged people to come down to test the improved security measures themselves.



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Pittsburghers lash out at proposed Downtown tax diversion district

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Pittsburghers lash out at proposed Downtown tax diversion district


A proposal to earmark some future tax revenue to Golden Triangle developments was met Thursday with stiff opposition from residents.

“Right now, it seems like this approach is aimed more for developers than the benefit of the citizens of Pittsburgh,” Tim Stevens, founder of the Black Political Empowerment Project, told City Council members during a public hearing.

City officials are contemplating creating a special district that would allow 75% of new tax revenue from developments Downtown and parts of the North Shore and Strip District to go back into improving Downtown.

That money could fund transit upgrades, business district projects, economic development initiatives or new housing, according to Tom Link, the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s chief development officer.

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The area, known as a Transit Revitalization District, would not cut into property taxes already being generated in the area. Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools would also need to vote on whether to allow their portions of property taxes there to be invested in the program.

The tax diversion could be worth up to $200 million, officials estimated. It would last 40 years.

Pittsburghers on Thursday urged council to reject the proposal.

They argued that the new tax revenue created by any Downtown developments should be equitably distributed throughout the city, not focused on Downtown. Several questioned whether it was appropriate for private developers to receive any cash from the effort.

“This is literally a project to grab money and rob people in the city for four decades, masquerading as a TRID,” said Andrew Hussein.

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Danielle Wenner, of Polish Hill, said she’d rather see new tax revenue go towards replacing deteriorating bridges or buying new city vehicles instead of supporting Downtown developers.

“The tax revenue generated by development belongs to the entire city and its population,” she said.

Several people questioned how the district would benefit all of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods.

“That money rightly belongs to all city residents,” Greenfield resident Matthew Cartier said.

Some council members, however, argued that the Golden Triangle needs to do well for the city as a whole to be financially stable. About 25% of the city’s real estate tax revenue comes from Downtown, Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, pointed out.

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“If we don’t have a strong Downtown, we can’t do anything anywhere else,” Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side, said. “For me, anything we can do to stop the bleed in Downtown means that we don’t have to raise taxes on folks that live in Allentown, folks that live in Knoxville. We want a healthy Downtown that we can tax. This is a way to create a healthy Downtown for the future.”

Since the covid-19 pandemic shifted people out of Downtown offices, officials have been concerned about plummeting property tax revenue in the area. Mayor Corey O’Connor suggested the district as a way to spur economic growth in the Golden Triangle.

The city faces serious financial challenges and is on track to end the year with a deficit of roughly $24 million. Some council members during a preliminary discussion on the special district earlier this month questioned if the city could afford to divert tax revenue when money is tight.

“This is diverting 75% of tax revenue in a huge part of the city,” Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, said.

Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, said the district would be “a lot of money we are not reaping as various bodies of government,” but she pointed out that money could fund much-needed projects like affordable housing.

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“We’re being asked to give up income for the city of Pittsburgh at a time when we’re struggling to produce a balanced budget,” Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, said.

Council scheduled a meeting to further discuss the proposal next Wednesday.





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