Providence 78, Fairfield 69: Bryce Cotton scored 24 points and dished out seven assists as the host Friars held on for their 12th straight win in the series.

Tyler Harris scored 16 points, Kadeem Batts added 13 points and eight rebounds and LaDontae Henton contributed 12 points, seven boards and five steals for Providence (7-1), which has won 31 consecutive non-conference home games dating to 2009. Cotton was 18-of-19 from the foul line as the Friars went 38-for-45 from the stripe.

Marcus Gilbert scored 23 points to lead Fairfield (1-6), which has lost six straight. Maurice Barrow added 20 points off the bench and Coleman Johnson chipped in 10 points for the Stags.

The Friars raced to a 14-4 lead and used an 11-1 run to stretch it to a 19-point advantage with 5:27 left in the half. The Stags trimmed it to 40-30 at the break and twice pulled within six early in the second half before going cold.

Providence held Fairfield scoreless for more than 4 1/2 minutes, reeling off a 12-0 run to regain command midway through the second half. The Stags made one more charge, using a 13-3 spurt to get within 64-55 before the Friars made 14 straight free throws - 12 by Cotton - to put it away.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Providence PG Kris Dunn (shoulder) did not play after experiencing soreness at the morning shoot-around. Dunn missed the first three games of the season with the same injury. … Henton surpassed 1,000 points in his career. … Providence coach Ed Cooley, who spent five seasons at Fairfield before joining the Friars, improved to 3-0 against his former team.