providence college basketball wagering spreads

No. 9 Panthers Top Friars, 85-77

Aaron Gray had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 9 Pittsburgh to its third straight victory, 85-77 over Providence on Wednesday night.

The Panthers (20-3, 9-3 Big East) reached the 20-win mark for a school-record fifth consecutive season and extended their winning streak over the Friars to five games.

Senior guard Donnie McGrath matched his career high with 28 points for Providence (11-11, 4-7), which had won its last two games. McGrath was 6-for-10 from 3-point range for the Friars.

John DeGroat's 3-pointer 4 minutes into the second half gave Pittsburgh its first lead of the game, 45-44. The Panthers then went on a 7-0 run with Gray scoring two baskets, one part of a three-point play, and another from Carl Krauser.

Pittsburgh took its largest lead of the game midway through the second half at 62-50 on a basket by Levon Kendall. The Friars cut the deficit to six points on Geoff McDermott's alley-oop dunk on a pass from Sharaud Curry with 5:48 remaining.

Benjamin added 15 points and Krauser had 12 for Pittsburgh, which snapped a three-game road losing streak.