Freshman Oswin Erhunmwunse scored a team-high 13 points as Providence cruised past visiting Delaware State 78-48 in Tuesday night nonconference action from Rhode Island’s capital city.
Erhunmwunse joined Corey Floyd Jr. (12 points) and Bensley Joseph (11 points, seven assists) in double figures for the Friars (5-0), who shot 49.2 percent from the field and have held their first five opponents under 70 points per game for the first time since 1982-83.
Christ Essandoko added nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds, helping lead Providence to a decided 48-24 advantage on the glass.
Led by Joseph, the Friars also had 21 assists on 29 made field goals.
Kaseem Watson logged a game-high 18 points and pulled down nine boards for Delaware State (2-3). Robert Smith added 10 points.
Providence jumped out to a 14-4 lead through 5:05 and expanded its double-digit lead to 36-23 by halftime. Floyd scored the Friars’ first five points and a team-leading eight in the period.
Joseph’s coast-to-coast finish helped the hosts respond to a 4-0 mini-run against them, but Delaware State wound up stringing together a 13-4 run to cut within 18-17 at 9:44. Watson scored seven of those points, including a late left-wing three.
The Friars responded with a 12-0 run, holding their opposition off the scoreboard for 5:26. Wesley Cardet Jr. got to the free-throw line for four of the first six points before Fernandez concluded the stretch with a corner 3-pointer off the bench at the 5:47 mark.
After Robert Smith’s up-and-under shot highlighted a 6-0 Hornet spurt, Christ Essandoko scored four during the Friars’ 6-0 response to end the half.
Floyd started the second half with a pair of dunks in the opening 3:02 of the second half, including a first-minute baseline drive following Joseph’s feed. However, two Martaz Robinson baskets on both ends of the first media timeout brought the Hornets within single digits again.
Following Watson’s turnaround shot, the Friars used an 11-0 run to increase their lead to 53-33 with 11:13 left. Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Rich Barron banged down 3-pointers in a 30-second span to begin that quick stretch, and Abdur-Rahim finished the long run with another.
After the halfway mark, Joseph scored nine straight points on the strength of a pair of treys, and Erhunmwunse followed with seven of his own including a pair of dunks by the 3:52 mark.
–Field Level Media
