Cincinnati 61, Providence 44: JaQuon Parker had 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Bearcats built a huge early lead and held on to defeat the Friars in the second round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Sean Kilpatrick led all scorers with 17 points and was the only other player to finish in double figures for Cincinnati (22-10), which will meet top-seeded Georgetown in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Kadeem Batts paced Providence (17-14) with 14 points and eight rebounds while All-Big East selection Bryce Cotton – the conference’s leading scorer – was held to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Cotton missed all seven of his 3-pointers, leading to the Friars’ 1-for-16 effort beyond the arc.

The Bearcats hit six of their first seven shots and raced out to a 26-8 advantage following consecutive 3-pointers from Parker as the Friars settled for a number of poor shots over the first 13:35. Providence overcame its 2-for-19 start from the field, however, by turning to full-court pressure and scoring 15 of the last 20 points before intermission to cut its deficit to eight.

Cotton continued the Friars’ rally with a layup to move the Friars within four early in the second half, but Cincinnati hit four of its next five shots. A 3-pointer by Kilpatrick and three-point play from Parker squashed Providence’s last comeback attempt as the Bearcats outscored the Friars 18-7 over the final 4:46.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Parker’s double-double was his second of the season. … Providence dropped its first game in the Big East tournament for the eighth time in the last nine years. … The Friars shot a season-worst 28.1 percent from the field.