PROVIDENCE — After watching his team struggle in its worst half of the season, and hear it from some boo birds to boot, Ed Cooley had only one goal in his locker room at halftime on Saturday.
Saying he “wanted to play the toughest dudes,” the Friars coach began the second half with a lineup featuring Alpha Diallo, Isaiah Jackson, Drew Edwards, Makai Ashton-Langford and Kalif Young. It was an offensively challenged group but an early flurry of offensive rebounds and an Ashton-Langford 3-pointer did help to spark the Friars, who sliced a 21-point first-half deficit to four after the break.