Bill Reynolds: URI-PC a rivalry worth savoring

Hide captionOn Saturday afternoon, about an hour before the University of Rhode Island was due to play Providence College in the Ryan Center, the student section already was totally into it. Loud. Passionate. Frenzied. Like some great sixth man just waiting to get into the game.

Huge game?

Huge event?

Huge statement game?

It was all there, including the sense of excitement that seemed to hang over the Ryan Center like coastal fog over Narragansett.

And not without its pressure.

Pressure on Dan Hurley, the URI coach who is now expected to beat the Friars on his home court, fair or not.

Pressure on the URI players, who had never beaten PC in their careers.

Pressure on the athletic department that…