Cincinnati 95, Kennesaw State 67: Bearcats Wallop Owls On Black Friday

Nov 26, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin talks with forward Shaquille Thomas (3) during the first half of the game against the Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

Another day, another ho-hum home victory over a lesser opponent. The length of the Cincinnati Bearcats agonized the Kennesaw State Owls all game long. UC forced 20 turnovers and were never truly challenged outside of the opening minutes of the first half. A stingy defense and a dominant inside game, as has been the formula for success thus far this season, allowed Cincinnati to race to a 48-28 halftime lead. It was the most points the Bearcats had scored in the first 20 minutes in their six games this year. Cincinnati continued that performance in the second half en route to a 95-67 victory.

On an individual basis, UC got another solid game out of senior Sean Kilpatrick. His ability to get open looks, hit the three, and be a threat to drive the lane was critical yet again this afternoon. He finished with 20-6-3 as he continues to pace the Bearcats offensively. The free throw shooting was also much improved from last game against UMass-Lowell. Cincinnati hit 16-20 shots from the stripe and Titus Rubles contributed with 8 himself. He was perfect from the free throw line.

It’s clear the Bearcats are clicking on all cylinders right now and while the opponents UC has ran over aren’t exactly the best litmus tests for this team, Cincinnati’s performance is certainly encouraging. And they’ll need to keep playing at this high a level, too. The Bearcats face South Carolina Upstate on Tuesday followed by back-to-back-to-back games against New Mexico in the hornet’s that is The Pit, Xavier at US Bank Arena, and Pittsburgh at Madison Square Gardens. A 4-0 record through that stretch isn’t unfathomable but definitely not a given. We’ll find out more about this team in two weeks.