By BRANDEN MELLO

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PROVIDENCE — If there had been a tale of the tape prior to Saturday’s colossal Ocean State showdown at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, even the most ardent Friar fanatic would have conceded that the Rams had the advantage at the small-forward position.

Based on what is admittedly a small sample size this season, URI’s Keith Cothran came into Saturday’s game averaging 17 points a game to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists a contest. Providence College’s Weyinmi Efejuku came into the game averaging just 12.3 points and he was shooting just 35.7 percent from 3-point range.

There was no question, however, when Saturday’s game ended who was more instrumental to their team’s cause. Efejuku, even though he hit just one of his four 3-pointers, scored a game-high 21 points, pulled down eight rebounds and hit all four of his free throws to help the Friars post a 66-65 victory over the Rams in a non-conference game.

“I wouldn’t say this is one of his best games, he’s played better,” four-year teammate Geoff McDermott said of Efejuku. “He played well, he had four offensive rebounds, he’s taking all my offensive rebounds away from me. He’s doing a great job on the boards, that’s really helping us our a lot.”

Efejuku’s biggest contribution to the win was the one 3-pointer he hit with 2 minutes 33 seconds left in the second half. The Rams, behind two free throws from Delroy James and a basket from Kahiem Seawright, had built a five-point lead. The deficit was cut to three after a Sharaud Curry score.

And then, after James missed a lay-up, McDermott grabbed the rebound and started to run a play he and Efejuku have run for so many years at PC.

“Ya, he knew what I was going to do,” McDermott said. ‘I went down the court and I tried looking at Jon (Kale) so I could give (Efejuku) more times to shoot.”

McDermott smoothly dribbled the ball through the transitioning Rams’ defense before he spotted Efejuku in front of the Friars’ bench. Efejuku, despite missing all three of his 3-pointers, coolly stroked the shot from 20 feet over the long arms of Seawright to tie the game.

“I saw Geoff dribbling it up court and I knew when he didn’t give it to me, because we were very close when he got the rebound, that he was going to penetrate and kick it out to me,” Efejuku said. “That’s just something Geoff and I know. So, I just ran to the 3-point line, got my feet set and I had confidence in my shot.”

But, was Providence College head coach Keno Davis confident that his senior scorer, who had hit just two of his previous 13 3-pointers, was going to bury the tying 3-pointer in front of the PC bench?

“We can’t turn down wide-open 3’s from 40 percent 3-pointer shooters,” Davis said of the play. “I got to feel like they were going to go in. We were staying in the game and we still weren’t making any shots. I was thinking to myself, ‘In a couple of possessions we’re going to knock two down and it’s going to change the whole outlook of the game.’

“It happened to just be one shot, but all of the sudden he knocks down the 3 and everybody plays a little harder. We definitely fed off that jump shot.”

Ironically, Cothran crossed his man over and scored a basket 25 seconds later to put the Rams up two points. It was Cothran’s first basket since a layup he made to put the Rams up 6-5 3:39 into the game.   

It was just that type of game for the Rhody swingman who made just three of his 11 shots for six points. Cothran, a junior from New Haven Conn., also missed all three of his 3-pointers, didn’t get to the foul line and committed three turnovers. On the positive side, he did have five defensive rebounds and two assists.

“We just focused in defensively, we didn’t formulate anything specifically for him,” Efejuku said of Cothran. “We knew he was a great scorer and he’s been playing well all year, but we just wanted to focus in defensively.”

Prior to Saturday’s game, Cothran’s lowest point total came in the 82-79 loss to Duke when he had just 10 points, but that came in only 25 minutes. Saturday, Cothran played a season-high 34 minutes and he didn’t get to the foul line for the first time this season.

“It’s just right now shots aren’t falling,” Jimmy Baron, who led the Rams with 18 points and three 3-pointers, said of his running mate. “I don’t think we need to change any of our game plan. I don’t think teams are doing anything different, we just have to keep playing.”

Efejuku, who played a season-high 35 minutes, still had enough energy at the end of the game to force Baron into a difficult 12-foot shot, which Baron missed to earn the Friars a bit of revenge after last year’s loss to the Rams at the Ryan Center. In that game, Efejuku only had eight points, six rebounds and four assists, as the Rams earned the 17-point win.

“I believe this is good (for our resume), we need some wins,” Efejuku said. “All I know is we want wins, it doesn’t matter who’s on their schedule. It doesn’t matter as long as we get the numbers in the right column.”