PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Marquette didn't look like the sixth-ranked men's basketball team in the country on Tuesday.

The Golden Eagles were outmuscled and out of sorts in a 72-57 loss to Providence in the teams' Big East opener.

BOX SCORE: Providence 72, Marquette 57

The Friars' home arena, once known as the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and now the Amica Mutual Pavilion, has become a house of horrors for the Golden Eagles. MU hasn't won in the building since February 2019, dropping five straight games.

Shaka Smart's first two visits to Providence with MU had nail-biting finishes. This one just left the defending Big East champions gnashing their teeth.

"A lot of physicality," Smart said. "I think that in this league you're going to see that and you have to be ready for that.

"We had a lot of guys out there that have played against their share of physicality in this league. Even in this building. But for whatever reason, that got us on our heels. I think it was like hoping for more calls.

"I did tell the officials that we got to figure out how to call a game in the second half the same way as it's called the first half and vice versa. But it's hard, these games are hard to officiate. Also we have to play better if we want a chance to win, so it's not about officiating."

The Friars (10-2) took the lead at 16-14 on Ticket Gaines' three-pointer and then pushed the advantage to 40-29 at the break. Providence's biggest lead came at 60-41 with 9:45 remaining.

The Golden Eagles shot 18 for 56, including 4 of 20 on three-pointers. The normally free-flowing offense only featured seven assists against 14 turnovers.

"I think they were really physical," guard Tyler Kolek said. "But we just got to figure some things out ourselves on offense.

"It's not so much what other people doing, but it's what we're doing. Getting the ball in the right people's hands and making the right plays and spacing the right way. I think this might have been the lowest point total we've had since I've been here.

"I know it's probably the most ugly offensive game that we've had since I been here."

MU has had two lower-scoring performances in the past three seasons: a 58-55 loss to Mississippi State last season and a 67-56 clunker against UCLA in the 2021-22 season.

Kolek, who wanted a victory in what might be his last college game in his home state, had 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Cumberland, Rhode Island, native was the target of a raucous crowd.

Kolek scored the first seven points of the second half to get MU within 40-36, but that couldn't be sustained.

"I thought that was the best we played at the beginning of the half," Smart said. "We had a stretch there for a lot of the second half where we were defending pretty well.

"We were getting some stops, but then on the offensive end we were either getting rushed, sped up, turned the ball over or missing a good shot."

Stevie Mitchell misses third straight game with hamstring injury

MU starting guard Stevie Mitchell was scratched for the third straight game with a hamstring injury.

The 6-foot-3 Mitchell only averages 5.8 points per game, but he is the team's glue guy.

"He's our toughest guy," Smart said. "He just can't go right now. It's not one of those things that he can fight through.

"Any time you have a soft tissue injury you just have to let it heal. We really wanted him to play in this game because we knew that he could be impactful. We miss his toughness, we miss his energy. Stevie's a winner. He's the type of guy that affects winning in a lot of ways beyond the stat sheet."

Sophomore guard Chase Ross has filled Mitchell's spot in the starting lineup. Ross had an injury scare of his own with 35 seconds remaining in the first half when he fell awkwardly on his right leg while missing a layup attempt.

Ross was helped back to the locker room. He worked with trainer Brandon Yoder at halftime and was back in the lineup in the second half. He finished with one point on 0-for-7 shooting and was limping after the game.

"Stevie Mitchell's a really big loss because he creates space for us," Kolek said. "He cuts really well, he moves really well without the ball.

"He doesn't want it. He doesn't need it. So that takes away another element of our offense."

MU's bench players scored just six points on 2-for-8 shooting, but there were lots of issues for MU.

Kam Jones' 13 points all came in the first half. Oso Ighodaro and David Joplin both finished 2 for 6. The Golden Eagles' defense let Gaines and Devin Carter (22 points) get loose for 5 three-pointers.

"I want to see more from our whole team than we had tonight," Smart said. "Absolutely, including the bench."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette lose to Providence 72-57 at Amica Mutual Pavilion