Cincinnati Bearcats 54, EIU Panthers 49: Turnover Laden UC Avoids Upset
By Chris Bains
The Cincinnati Bearcats survived the Eastern Illinois Panthers 54-49 on Sunday night.
Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that this team is inspiring a lot of confidence right now. Winning by five over what will probably turn out to be their worst RPI opponent this year isn’t exactly indicative of a squad that is primed for a conference championship or even NCAA Tournament birth. It’s not outlandish to say that an even slightly better team beats Cincinnati on their home floor with the way they played last night.
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But these are the growing pains we’ll have to grit our teeth through this season. The Bearcats are going to be prone to turning the ball over due to the new pieces in place offensively. 19 is a lot, they shouldn’t be giving it away at even half that rate, but it’s just a fact of life with this team.
It is encouraging, though, that Cincinnati continues to play stifling defense. The Bearcats held Eastern Illinois to just 29.5% shooting from the field, 3 of 17 from three, and allowed just 11 offensive boards. UC dominated inside last night, including the guards who accounted for 9 rebounds. Additionally, Troy Caupain exploded for a career high 17 points against the Panthers. His assists total was down and his turnovers up but I liked the way the sophomore took it upon himself to lift the Bearcats offensively.
Cincinnati hosts the North Carolina Central Eagles, a NCAA Tournament team from last season, on Tuesday night at 7 pm.