Rob Gray scored 24 points as Houston built a big second-half lead and held off a late charge by undermanned Providence to beat the Friars 70-59 on Wednesday evening at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Houston (10-2) has won nine of its last 10 games.

Gray scored 11 points over a six-minute stretch as the Cougars outscored the Friars 22-9.

The Cougars made nine straight field goals and led 56-35 with 12:36 to go.

The Friars twice got within eight during the final 4 1/2 minutes, but Devin Davis, who grabbed nine rebounds, scored his only points of the game on two free throws that made it a 12-point game with 50 seconds left.

The Cougars' Armoni Brooks came off the bench to make 4 of 6 from long range and finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four steals. Galen Robinson Jr. added 12 points and six assists for Houston.

Rodney Bullock scored 24 points to lead Providence.

The Friars were without senior point guard Kyron Cartwright, who injured an ankle in Providence's 62-60 win over Stony Brook on Sunday. Cartwright was averaging 9.4 points and six assists.

The Friars (8-4) lost three of five after a 6-1 start to the season.

Houston led for the final 11 minutes of the opening 20 minutes and pushed its lead to 28-20 on a Robinson layup with 3:32 to go in the half.

The two teams were meeting for the first time in 52 years.

Houston has eight days off before starting conference play at South Florida. Providence will host Sacred Heart on Friday.