Ben Bentil scored 24 points, and Providence defeated Evansville 74-64 Thursday night in the opening round of the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, Calif.

The Friars (5-0) will face either No. 11 Arizona or Santa Clara in a Friday night semifinal of the eight-team tournament.

Bentil, a sophomore forward, shot 6-for-16 from the field, 10-for-11 from the foul line and added eight rebounds. Junior guard Kris Dunn boosted Providence with 18 points, six rebounds, three steals and five assists as he worked around five turnovers.

Evansville (3-1) had the lead early, but the Friars went on a 25-9 run late in the opening period, producing an eight-point halftime lead. Providence then started the second half on an 11-0 spurt to put the game out of reach.

Providence outrebounded the Purple Aces 36-30 and got to the foul line 18 more times than Evansville. The Friars were 23-for-29 from the line, while Evansville was just 5-for-11.

Senior guard D.J. Balentine, who entered the game averaging 21.3 points per game, led the Purple Aces with 18 points. Evansville will face the loser of the Thursday night Arizona-Santa Clara game on Friday.