David DeJulius and Landers Nolley led the Bearcats to a 98-55 win over Chaminade in the season opener on Monday at Fifth Third Arena. Wes Miller’s team started the game on a 16-5 run and dominated all night with four players scoring in double figures.
On the first possession, Nolley drilled a 3-pointer to get the scoring started. That was a sign of things to come as Cincinnati made their first seven attempts and built a double digit lead before the initial media timeout. Nolley had eight points in that span.
In the final seconds of the opening half, DeJulius hit a stepback jumper to beat the buzzer and push the lead to 54-28 at halftime. Cincinnati continued to play at a high level in the second half and eventually secured a 43-point win with 38 fastbreak points.
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats blow past Chaminade 98-55 in season opener
DeJulius dropped a game-high 24 points and three assists, while Nolley finished with 19 points on 8/13 shooting from the field. Jeremiah Davenport added 14 points, while Daniel Skillings totaled nine points and four rebounds in his debut. Mika Adams-Woods went for 13 points and three assists in 18 minutes.
Cincinnati improved to 1-0 with the win and will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday against Cleveland State. During the postgame presser, Miller reacted to the Bearcats’ season-opening win over the Silverswords via Cincinnati Athletics.
"“This was fun to get out in front of our fans for the first time with our new guys. It felt like we had been practicing forever. It was awesome seeing them make plays, have some fun and get a taste of winning. There were a lot of positives from tonight. I think there was some good stuff and a lot that we can build on. We’re going to take a look at the film, learn from it and try to get better as we take on a higher level opponent on Thursday. Now it’s just November so we have to continue to grow throughout the year but there’s a good vibe in the locker room. It starts with guys like David DeJulius believing in their teammates.”"