No. 21 Providence came away with a 69-62 win over Butler Sunday afternoon at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, R.I.

Nate Watson led the Friars with 18 points, including a personal 9-4 run that turned a 58-56 Providence advantage into a 67-60 lead with 1:07 to play.

"You know what you're going to get when you play Providence," said Butler coach LaVall Jordan. "It was a battle and a high-level game. I thought we competed well; Providence just made a few more plays down the stretch and got to the line a few more times."

Providence shot 51 percent for the game and went 10-of-14 from the free throw line. The Bulldogs shot 47 percent from the field, but only 5-of-20 from behind the three-point line and only attempted four free throws on the afternoon.

Chuck Harris led the Bulldogs with 21 points; Bo Hodges added 17 points and eight rebounds. His 17 points were a personal-best for him in a Butler uniform. Both players were inserted into the starting line-up for Sunday's game.

Butler opened the second half by scoring the first eight points to erase a Providence halftime lead and take a 41-39 advantage, which was the team's first lead since 14-12 with 12:55 remaining in the first half.

The key run of the second half was a 10-3 spurt by the Friars that turned a 47-46 Butler lead into a 56-50 Providence advantage with 8:20 to play. While Bryce Golden's jumper would pull the Bulldogs within 58-56 prior to Watson's stretch run, that 47-46 advantage was Butler's final lead of the game.

Aaron Thompson had six assists to go along with his six points. Golden added 11 points.

Providence improves to 16-2 overall and leads the BIG EAST with a 6-1 conference mark. Butler falls to 9-10 (2-6 BIG EAST).

The contest was Butler's fifth game in 11 days and concludes a seven-game stretch that has seen Butler play six Top 25 opponents.

The Bulldogs return home for a two-game homestand, hosting Creighton Wednesday and Georgetown Saturday.