January 8th Roll Out: Cincinnati-Houston Postgame Reactions
By Chris Bains
Jan 7, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Justin Jackson (5) reacts after a play during the second half against the Houston Cougars at Hofheinz Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
That was a terrifyingly close win last night for our beloved Bearcats over the Houston Cougars. What seemed like at snoozer turned out to be an edge-of-your-seat, Transporter 2-like thriller that had us living with every made basket and dying with every shot that clanked off the rim. But UC survived to win their seventh straight game and stay undefeated in the AAC. Below are some reactions to that win.
Cincinnati Bearcats Survive Houston Comeback 61-60
"While Cincinnati dominated the first half of the game, they certainly did not in the second half. With a 40-24 lead coming out of the half Cincinnati seemed to glide just putting on auto pilot. The defense backed off which allowed Houston to outscore Cincinnati 36 to 21 in the second half."
UC Holds off Houston Rally, Remains Unbeaten in American
"Cincinnati used an 11-2 run over a five-minute stretch of the first half to open up a 26-13 lead with 7:24 left in the first half on two Titus Rubles free throws. Houston responded, closed the lead to 26-20, but the Bearcats ended the half on a 14-4 run to open up a 40-24 halftime advantage."
Bearcats Survive Houston 61-60
"The Cincinnati Bearcats tried their best to blow a 19 point second half lead. Luckily for them, Houston could only get the margin to 1 point as time ran out, leaving Cincinnati with a 61-60 victory. It’s very hard to win on the road, this was a pretty strong example of that."
UC tops Houston 61-60, moves to 3-0 in AAC
"No one would have imagined that the game would come down to two clutch free throws when UC led by 19 early in the second half. The Bearcats had their way with the Cougars in the first half, scoring 11 points off nine turnovers and holding Houston to 33.3 percent shooting."