Cincinnati 86, USC-Upstate 50: Bearcats Stymie Spartans With Stellar Defense

Nov 26, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats Shaquille Thomas dunks the ball during the second half of the game against the Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports

The Bearcats again put on defensive clinic tonight. By the looks of the first half, and USC-Upstate’s reputation of giving teams fits, it appeared Cincinnati was bound for a tough game with the game close at halftime. But all of those concerns were alleviated by UC’s performance in the second half. Up nine at halftime, the Bearcats exploded out of the gate with a flurry of three’s. Cincinnati wound up shooting an unreal 50% from beyond the arc.

But that wasn’t even the best aspect of this team’s performance.

The Cincinnati defense was outrageous. USC-Upstate didn’t reach double-digit points until 3:34 to go in the second half. The highlight of the evening was when the Bearcats held the Spartans scoreless for a nine minute stretch. Zero points. For a full quarter of the game. Insanity! Ultimately Cincinnati’s defense held USC-Upstate to just 16 points in the final 20 minutes, further exemplifying the strength of UC’s defense.

So it seems the Bearcats are continuing to operate at a high level. That’s good news because a tough stretch of New Mexico, Xavier, and Pittsburgh are right around the corner. After tonight’s game, I’m even more confident in Cincinnati’s chances to sweep these teams.