Bryce Cotton and Kadeem Batts each scored 27 points and host Providence earned its first conference win of the season with a dominating 90-59 upset of No. 15 Louisville and former coach Rick Pitino on Tuesday.

Vincent Council had 15 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds for Providence (12-6, 1-4 Big East). The Friars gave first-year coach Ed Cooley his first conference win with stunning ease on a night the school celebrated the 25-year anniversary of its unlikely 1987 Final Four run led by Pitino.

Providence shot 53 percent (28 of 53) and hit 9-of-14 3-pointers against the nation’s third-best defense. The Friars led by double digits throughout after outscoring Louisville 27-8 in the final 9:32 of the first half. They opened the second half on a 15-6 run and led by as many as 33 points.

Chris Smith scored 16 points for Louisville (13-4, 1-3 Big East), which suffered its worst conference loss since a 90-57 setback to Notre Dame in February 2009.

The most impressive part was the Friars were without Gerard Coleman, the team’s second-leading scorer who sat out with a back injury suffered against Seton Hall on Saturday.

It was just Providence's second win in nine tries against Pitino. The legendary coach’s current team is now in a downward spiral. The Cardinals have lost two straight and four of five since a 12-0 start.

Pitino, one of two coaches to lead three schools to the Final Four, has said the sixth-seeded 1987 Friars were one of his all-time favorite teams. He was honored at halftime, along with several coaches and players.