Dawson Garcia scored 20 points Tuesday night, leading five Marquette players in double figures as the Golden Eagles topped Providence 79-69 in a Big East Conference game at Milwaukee.

Koby McEwen added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Golden Eagles (7-6, 3-4 Big East) while D.J. Carton chipped in 13 points. Jamal Cain contributed 12 and Justin Lewis came off the bench to tally 11 points and block three shots.

Nate Watson scored 16 of his team-high 18 points in the second half for the Friars (7-6, 3-4). David Duke added 17 points and dished out nine assists but made just 5 of 18 shots. A.J. Reeves hit for 12 points and Jimmy Nichols Jr. added 11.

Providence pulled within 66-64 with 3:26 left in the game on Greg Gantt's put-back, but Cain answered with a long 3-pointer on Marquette's next possession. The trey started a 7-0 burst that Carton finished with two free throws at the 1:40 mark for a 73-64 lead.

The Golden Eagles canned 46.6 percent from the field and earned a 39-30 advantage on the boards. The Friars sank only 40.7 percent of their shots and were poor in the transition game, getting outscored 16-3 in fastbreak points.

Marquette's early priority was getting Garcia revved up. The five-star freshman got his team off the mark by scoring its first seven points, and even though Providence rallied to take a brief lead, the Golden Eagles controlled the first half.

Beginning with Garcia's two free throws with 8:42 to go, Marquette rattled off 15 straight points in a 4:25 span. All five starters scored during the run as the lead bulged from a point to 32-16 after two foul shots by Cain.

The margin was still 15 late in the half when the Friars made inroads to cut the deficit to 38-29 entering halftime. Nichols rained in a 3-pointer from the left corner and Reeves converted a three-point play, giving Providence momentum despite shooting a miserable 33.3 percent in the half.

--Field Level Media