PROVIDENCE — Randall Hanke’s on-again, off-again season has clearly hit a hot streak.

Hanke enjoyed his second straight strong scoring game last night as the Friars pulled away in the second half and beat DePaul, 79-65. Hanke led all scorers with 21 points and put his numbers up with his usual array of quick-post moves, flips and tip-ins.

“It feels good,” said Hanke. “It felt even better to get the win and get our confidence back.”

Hanke led the Friars with 18 points in a loss to West Virginia Saturday and he came out strong again last night. The junior center scored 10 of PC’s first 19 points and made 4 of 6 shots in 15 first-half minutes. The second half was just as impressive as Hanke sparked an early flurry that proved to be the knockout punch in the game. Hanke scored nine points in a 33-10 PC run to open the half.

For the first time in weeks (months?), the Friars clearly ran their offense to get Hanke the ball in the post. DePaul couldn’t find a defender to match up with Hanke’s strong play from the blocks as he rolled to 8 of 13 shooting.

“I tried to get good position and finish strong,” said Hanke. “I dropped a few passes but did a good job overall.”

Before the previous two games, Hanke had seen his playing time cut significantly. He played just six minutes in losses to Seton Hall, Syracuse and Notre Dame. Coach Tim Welsh always cites issues with Hanke’s defense and rebounding as reasons for why he limits his minutes but no one can deny the big man’s scoring skills. Hanke was also recovering from a badly bruised eye he suffered after catching an elbow in a win over Connecticut.

“It’s got to be a give-and-take. You have to look at how the game is going,” said Welsh. “If he keeps battling like that, he’s a presence out there. I like that he rotated into help tonight and changed some shots with his size. Sometimes the issue with him is he’s 6-foot-10 and he plays 6-3 because he bends his knees and has his hands down. He has a wide wing span and he’ll change people’s look.”

kmcnamar@projo.com