Vaaks scores 19 as Providence takes down Holy Cross 89-79

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Stefan Vaaks' 19 points off the bench led Providence to an 89-79 victory over Holy Cross on Monday in a series opener for both teams.

Vaaks shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line for the Friars. Jamier Jones scored 16 points and added five rebounds. Corey Floyd Jr. had 12 points and shot 4 for 9 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 2 of 5 from the free-throw line.

Tyler Boston led the Crusaders in scoring, finishing with 25 points, six assists and two steals. Aiden Disu added 16 points and two steals for Holy Cross. Gabe Warren had 13 points.

Providence took the lead for good with 12:43 to go in the first half. The score was 44-27 at halftime, with Vaaks racking up 15 points. Providence used a 13-2 run in the second half to build a 20-point lead at 69-49 with 10:01 left in the half before finishing off the win.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.