Emmitt Holt celebrated his Providence debut with a career-high 22 points, and Kyron Cartwright dished out a career-best 12 assists to lead the Friars to a season-opening 80-58 win over Vermont on Monday night in Providence, R.I.

Holt, a 6-foot-7 transfer who played one year at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, is one of the players coach Ed Cooley hopes will help fill the void left by NBA draft picks Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil.

The Friars, picked ninth in the Big East, made the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years.

Holt, who was 8-for-12 from the floor, also had five rebounds and blocked three shots. Rodney Bullock scored 18 points, going 3-for 5 from 3-point range, and Cartwright added nine points. His previous high in assists was 10. Ryan Fazekas had 11 points off the Providence bench, including three 3-pointers.

Payton Henson scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Catamounts (1-1). He was 9-for-17 from the floor but just 1-for-5 from 3-point range.

Vermont freshman Anthony Lamb, the Northeast Conference rookie of the week for his 23 points in a debut win over Quinnipiac, was just 2-for-8 from the floor and finished with six points and six rebounds Monday.

Providence was 9-for-23 from behind the arc, while Vermont was just 5-for-20.

The Friars led by just a point midway through the first half but used an 8-0 run to take control. They led by six at the half, and a 12-4 run helped Providence blow the game open.

The Friars visit Ohio State on Thursday as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games between the Big East and Big Ten. Vermont plays host to Marist on Wednesday night.