Well, ,they did beat 'em, 72-57. And it was never close. And both the margin and the point totals were essentially the same as in the Friar's previous two wins over Brown and Sacred Heart. Let that sink in for a minute.
So how did they do it?
They didn't do it with an especially hot night from the 3-pt line (11 for 32, 34.4.%)
They sure didn't do it from the FT line (17 for 28).
They didn't do it with an especially tight handle (14 turnovers).
They didn't do it with a big rebounding advantage (38 to 35).
And they didn't do it with a big night from their star, Hopkins (11 vs 17 pt average).
Two numbers stand out: 17 assists on 22 field goals for the Friars; 7 assists on 18 FGs for Marquette. This resulted in overall 43.1% shooting for Providence, 32.1% for Marquette. It appears that Providence ran its offensive sets effectively and was able, defensively, to consistently break down Marquette's patterns. Chalk one up for Kim English over Shaka Smart. A kinder conclusion from Marquette's POV is that it was just one of those nights on the road where nothing whatever goes in the basket (They made 4 for 20 3-pointers). It's also true that the game was the usual foul fest you get at Providence (22 on Marquette, 18 on Providence) that destroys the rhythm of the game.
Another caution that strange things can happen on the road.