Pioneers blaze road to final

The Pioneers didn't open the game strongly against the No. 4 Mustangs, who placed fifth in the Delphic League and earned an at-large berth into the playoffs. Providence missed its first four shots from the field and couldn't convert its attempts from three-point range.

Fortunately for the Pioneers, Kilpatrick committed seven turnovers in the first quarter, as the teams were knotted at 12.

In the second, both squads struggled from the floor, with Kilpatrick going five of 20 (25%) and Providence going four of 16 (25%). The Pioneers were also outrebounded, 18-7, in the second. Despite that disadvantage, the Pioneers went into halftime with a 25-23 lead, thanks largely to three three-pointers and 10 points from Gonzalez.

"They are very active on the boards," Baskerville said of Kilpatrick. "We were concerned about rebounding coming in. But I thought we did a lot better job at rebounding in the second half."

LoVett and Gonzalez led the attack in the third quarter, as both tallied 11 points. While the Pioneers converted five of their first seven field-goal attempts, the Mustangs hit just one of their first eight. Taking advantage of its opponent's shooting woes, Providence built up a 14-point lead, 40-26.

Kilpatrick fought back in the third, however, and was down by nine heading into the fourth quarter, 49-40.

The Mustangs' Ron Hardy made a layup to open the fourth quarter to bring his team to within seven. But that's as close as Kilpatrick would come.

LoVett and Gonzalez accounted for 70 of the Pioneers' 74 points, with one basket coming from senior Kellen Smith and a pair of free throws coming from Justin Sarenas. The lopsided scoring doesn't bother Baskerville.

"It's worked for us so far, and we're winning," Baskerville said.