LaDontae Henton's three-point play with 27 seconds left broke a tie and lifted Providence to an 82-77 victory over visiting Holy Cross on Tuesday in the first meeting between longtime New England rivals since 2006.

Providence (5-2) led by as many as 16 in the second half, but Holy Cross (2-5) reeled off a 21-5 run to tie it at 69 with 6:20 left. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way until Gerard Coleman's steal led to Henton's layup and free throw for the lead.

After Phil Beans' 3-pointer missed the mark, Bryce Cotton hit two free throws to seal it for the Friars.

Cotton finished with a game-high 24 points. Vincent Council had 19 points and 11 assists for his first double-double of the season and the fifth of his career. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

Coleman (18 points, eight rebounds) and Henton (17 points, nine rebounds) narrowly missed double-doubles.

R.J. Evans and Dave Dudzinski scored 21 points apiece for Holy Cross. Dudzinski also had 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.

Providence has won the past three meetings and leads the all-time series 41-28.

The Friars improved to 4-0 at home, while the Crusaders dropped to 0-4 on the road.