Providence 54, No. 17 Cincinnati 50: Kadeem Batts led the way with 25 points and nine rebounds as the Friars upset the visiting Bearcats.

Big East leading scorer Bryce Cotton was held to 11 points on 2-of-10 shooting and Vincent Council handed out eight assists for Providence (12-11, 4-7 Big East), which has won back-to-back games for the first time since a six-game streak during the non-conference slate.

Sean Kilpatrick struggled to 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting as Cincinnati (18-5, 6-4) had its modest two-game winning streak come to an end.

Cotton and Batts combined for all of the Friars’ points during a 17-5 run that pushed the lead to 47-34 with 6:50 left. The Bearcats used a 12-0 run to pull within a point but Council stopped the bleeding with a jumper and Providence never lost the lead.

Cotton, who averages 21.4 points, was held scoreless in the first half but Batts kept the Friars afloat with his strength on the interior. The junior forward had 12 points to help Providence take a 26-21 lead into the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cincinnati had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final seconds but turned the ball over on an over and back violation. … Bearcats G JaQuon Parker left the floor in the second half after rolling his ankle but returned to finish with 12 points and 10 rebounds. … Providence missed its first 10 3-point attempts and went 2-of-17 from beyond the arc.