Cincinnati guard Deonta Vaughn, right, shoots against Providence guard Weyinmi Efejuku during the first half of last night’s Big East game in Cincinnati.

AP / Al Behrman

CINCINNATI — After waiting for weeks, the 3-point shot returned as a weapon just in time for the Friars last night.

Providence drained 12 3s and, more important, had six players pitch in from downtown as the offense rolled all night in an 87-79 win over Cincinnati. The 12 treys are the second-highest total of the year for PC, topped only by the 13 the Friars canned against Sacred Heart.

“I’ve been waiting for a night like this,” coach Keno Davis said. “To be able to shoot the ball like this is huge. You have to have nights where you shoot like that, especially when you go on the road in the Big East.”

The Friars made 12 of their 24 trey attempts, and several came at very big moments. None was bigger than the corner bomb by Jeff Xavier with 53 seconds left that elevated a two-point lead to 84-79. Xavier also hit a three that broke a 68-68 tie earlier in the second half.

“We have a lot of confidence in all the guys. Jeff can make that all day,” said Sharaud Curry, who hit three treys, the same as Xavier.

In the second half, the Friars frequently spread the court and put a lot of pressure on the Cincinnati defense to guard multiple players 20 feet from the hoop. “They hit some really tough shots,” said Bearcat coach Mick Cronin, “but we have to guard better. No question.”

Davis said he felt the Friars had an advantage with so many shooters feeling confident.

“We played a lot in the second half with the smaller lineup. We had Marshon Brooks at the power forward,” he said. “When you put more shooters out on the court and spread it, you can take advantage of the other team playing aggressively on you and try to get to the foul line. If they help, you have to shoot the ball in rhythm. Earlier in the year, we were taking 3-point shots off the dribble. The ones I remember in this game came off the pass.”

Televised nationally

The Friars began a busy string of games played on national TV via the ESPN family of networks last night. Last night’s game was broadcast on ESPNU and is the first of three straight national telecasts. Saturday’s PC-Georgetown will also be shown on ESPNU and a Jan. 17 game against Marquette will be on ESPN2. In all, the Friars will be shown on ESPNU four times and ESPN2 three times before the Big East Tournament.

Oscar Robertson at game

While the crowd was a very disappointing 6,612, all-time great Oscar Robertson sat at midcourt. The Bearcat alum is a frequent attendee at UC games … The Friars canned 12 three-pointers in the game. Cincinnati gave up 15 threes in its previous game, a 34-point loss at Marquette … PC is at Georgetown on Saturday. UConn comes to Cincinnati … The Bearcats play at PC in only 12 days.

kmcnamar@projo.com