Senior guard Franklin Lopez scored 18 points as the East Providence basketball team beat D-2 Tiverton 50-42 in a non-league away game on Friday night. The Townies also beat Westerly 67-54 for their first division win of the season on Monday night to start the season at 2-1. 

Lopez started scoring in the second quarter, draining a 3-pointer and racing in for a layup, finishing the first half with just 5 points. The senior scored 4 more in the third quarter before getting hot in crunch time with the game in the balance. Lopez scored 4 points and went 5 of 8 from the free throw line for 9 fourth quarter points. Enough to finish off the Tigers who were nipping at their heels in the second half. 

Senior guard Jaydason Barros dropped three 3-pointers in the middle quarters for 9 of his 10 points. 

Alex Malamba scored 5 first quarter points and played well defensively by making steals as Tiverton threatened to take the lead. 

“We are just feeling out what we have right now,” said head coach Joe Andrade. 

East Providence had a solid season in 2023-24, finishing with a 16-10 record in Division 1 and making noise in the state tournament and division championship. They fell to Classical the eventual winner, in the Elite 8 of the tournament and lost to Bishop Hendricken in the D1 quarterfinals. 

This year’s squad is a mix of upper and lower class men, according to Coach Andrade. 

“We have some seniors and we have some youth and we’re mixing it together and the kids seem to like each other,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of size and we’re missing a true point guard.”

Four of the Townies five starters are seniors. Lopez, Malamba, Tyler Gomez and Braeden Ellis are the four senior starters with junior Justin Jardine. East Providence doesn’t have a lot of size this season and will have to rely on their athleticism and team work as they play against the best teams in the state. 

“We have some new pieces that we are trying to fit in,” Coach Andrade said. “It’s a balancing act trying to get some of the youth in. As the season goes, things will change.”

Sophomore Jervon Brown, Antonio Verela and Barros will be the first wave off of the bench for Coach Andrade as the Townies begin to see stiffer competition this week. 

East Providence will host Mt. Pleasant on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. and Barrington on Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m. 

“We going to have to work,” said Coach Andrade. “We feeling it out, but we’ll be alright.”

 

Scoring vs Tiverton

Franklin Lopez scored 18 points, Jayden Barros scored 10 points, Alex Mulamba scored 7 points, Tyler Gomez scored 7 points, Jervon Brown scored 4 points and Justin Jardine scored 3 points.