Box score

Senior Marshon Brooks posted 27 points to lead Providence to a 77-72 win over Northeastern in men's basketball action on Wednesday night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. Senior guard Chaisson Allen led the Huskies with 24 points.

Allen shot 9-of-16 from the floor and also led the Huskies (2-3) with five rebounds. Sophomore guard Joel Smith tallied 15 points, including three three-pointers, and three steals and rookie guard Alex Harris chipped in 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and three steals. Sophomore Alwayne Bigby led Northeastern with a career-high five assists. Sophomore Dinko Marshavelski and freshman Alex Bates each blocked a career-best two shots.

Sophomore Bilal Dixon notched a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds as well as three blocks for the Friars (7-1), winners of three straight games. Classmate Vincent Council contributed 15 points, six assists and three steals.

Smith kicked the game off with a three-pointer and the Huskies jumped out to an 11-2 lead after rookie forward Ryan Pierson hit a pair of free throws, part of a career-high six points. Allen drilled a jumper with 12:26 to go in the first half to give Northeastern a 25-14 lead. The Huskies maintained the lead for the rest of the first half, but the Friars came back within two when Brooks made a layup at the buzzer to cut Northeastern's lead to 37-35 at the break.

Dixon tipped in his own miss to tie up the game to open the second half, but Kauri Black responded with a layup to put the Huskies back on top by two. A pair of Gerard Coleman free throws tied the game again. The Friars took their first lead of the game when Kadeem Batts knocked in a bankshot, but Black once again hit a shot at the other end to tie the game at 41-41. Black stole the ball on the next possession and dished to Allen, who was fouled and hit a pair of free throws to put Northeastern on top once again, keying an 8-2 spurt for the Huskies.

The Friars battled back once again, tying the game at 51-51 with 12:13 to go when Duke Mondy completed a three-point play off a missed free throw. Council put the Friars on top once again, dumping in a layup off a steal, and Dixon followed with a dunk. Providence built a nine-point lead that Northeastern only whittled to four for the rest of the game.

The Huskies are back in action on Saturday at 4 p.m., opening Colonial Athletic Association play against Drexel at TD Garden as part of the Boston Tip-Off Classic. Saturday's game will air on Comcast SportsNet New England.