No. 4 Louisville 80, Providence 62: Russ Smith scored 23 points and the host Cardinals overcame a slow start to win their eighth consecutive game.

Center Gorgui Dieng added 11 points and 11 rebounds as Louisville (13-1, 1-0 Big East) handed the Friars (8-5, 0-1) their third consecutive loss and avenged a humbling 90-59 defeat at Providence last season.

Luke Hancock had 11 points and Chane Behanan and Peyton Siva added 10 points apiece for the Cardinals, who posted their ninth double-digit victory of the season.

Kadeem Batts scored 17 points and Bryce Cotton added 16 for the Friars, who came out firing from long range and scored the game's first eight points en route to an early 13-3 lead. The Cardinals fought back to tie it at 18 and used a 10-0 run to go ahead by double digits before settling for a 37-31 halftime lead.

Louisville applied the knockout punch midway through the second half, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Hancock and one from Smith in a 14-0 burst that pushed the lead to 67-47. Smith was 4-for-5 from long range.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Louisville improved to 7-0 all-time at home against Providence. ... Cotton, who entered the contest as the leading scorer in the Big East, returned to the lineup following a one-game absence due to a sore knee. ... Dieng, in his second game back since suffering a broken wrist on Nov. 23, had his second double-double of the season.