After getting off to a quick start, the Bearcats took a 45-35 lead over Tulane into halftime as Landers Nolley II led the way with a game-high 14 points on 5/6 shooting from the field!
Cincinnati center Viktor Lakhin got the scoring started with an offensive rebound and put back, followed by Nolley knocking down a triple on the next possession to take an early 5-2 lead.
Just a couple minutes later, Bearcats senior guard David DeJulius drilled a 3-pointer to cap off a 10-0 run and force a timeout from Tulane head coach Ron Hunter with 17:34 left in the half.
Daniel Skillings added back to back buckets to push the lead to 39-22 with just over four minutes left. The freshman forward threw down a dunk followed by a floater to get the crowd going.
@DavidDejulius knocks down an early 3-pointer to force a timeout and extend the #Bearcats 10-2 lead over Tulane! pic.twitter.com/tAWkK4ondH
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) December 30, 2022
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats take a double digit lead into halftime against Tulane
Wes Miller’s team continues to show improvement as the season continues but struggled to keep up against higher competition, which is concerning as the AAC schedule gets underway.
Despite being inconsistent at times, Cincinnati comes into the game with a 9-4 record including wins against Cleveland State and Detroit, plus a blowout over Louisville in the Maui Invitational.
During non-conference play, the Bearcats went on a trio of 3-game win streaks surrounded by losses to Arizona and Ohio State in the Maui Invitational, plus Northern Kentucky and Xavier.
Both teams are hoping to start conference play on a positive note and it should be a competitive second half as Cincinnati hopes to secure a fourth consecutive win over Tulane.
With just a few minutes until conference play tips off, the #Bearcats are 5.0-point favorites against Tulane with the over/under set at 151 total points according to WynnBET.https://t.co/RyadHWGwhL pic.twitter.com/TEKtBEnnpO
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) December 30, 2022
Cincinnati Basketball: Preview, odds for Bearcats conference opener against Tulane
With less than an hour until conference play tips off, the Bearcats are 5-point favorites over the Green Wave with the over/under set at 151 total points according to WynnBET.
Since a last-second loss to Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout, Cincinnati won three straight against Miami, La Salle and Detroit to wrap up the non-conference slate with a 9-4 record.
Cincinnati is tied for fourth place in the conference standings as each team prepares to start AAC play this week. Tulane sits in sixth place with a 7-4 record including 5-1 record at home.
Players to watch in the upcoming matchup include Tulane guards Jalen Cook and Jaylen Forbes, forward Kevin Cross and wing Sion James. Forbes averages a team-high 16.8 points per game.