15-1

72-66, Villanova next.

It was the first halftime deficit Syracuse had faced all season.

But Syracuse dominated the boards and relied on unusually accurate free throw shooting to get the victory.

The Orange made 17 out of 18 free throws, including all 14 of its attempts in the second half.

Syracuse improved to 15-1 for the season and 3-0 in the Big East as the Orange beat Providence (8-7, 0-3) for the sixth straight time.

C.J. Fair led the Orange with 23 points, while Michael Carter-Williams, who grew up in Boston and attended St. Andrew’s in nearby Barrington, R.I., enjoyed his homecoming with 17 points.