In the recent loss against top ranked Houston, the Bearcats struggled to keep pace as David DeJulius, Jeremiah Davenport and Daniel Skillings Jr shot a combined 3/25 from the field.
Cincinnati ranks among the best offenses in the AAC this season but can’t score consistently against high level defenses and Houston has the most complete defense in the country.
DeJulius wasn’t able to find a rhythm for a second straight night, finishing with six points and five assists, while shooting 2/8 from 3-point range after scoring just six points at Wichita State.
Davenport was coming off a season-high 22 points in the win over Wichita State but couldn’t get anything to fall on Sunday either, shooting 1/9 from the field and 0/7 from beyond the arc.
There’s no shame in losing to one of the nation’s best teams but it was another disappointing outcome as the #Bearcats committed 17 turnovers against Houston.https://t.co/arCIxPRvux pic.twitter.com/7LXEDeIe2e
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) January 9, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Shooting struggles hold back the Bearcats in loss to Houston
Wes Miller’s team came out with plenty of energy but couldn’t sustain that level of play into the second half as Houston eventually took control and extended its 7-game winning streak.
There’s no shame in losing to arguably the nation’s best teams but it was another disappointing result as Cincinnati failed to score for more than six minutes early in the second half.
Even though Houston led 35-28 at halftime, the Bearcats were still within striking distance before going scoreless for over six minutes as the deficit grew to as much as 20 points.
Despite falling short, senior guard Mika Adams-Woods continued his hot streak with a team-best 19 points and three assists. Viktor Lakhin added 16 points and six rebounds in the loss.
Houston led 35-28 at halftime but the #Bearcats were within striking distance before going scoreless for more than six minutes during the 72-59 loss at home today.https://t.co/arCIxPQXEZ pic.twitter.com/WzLeRiifpx
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) January 9, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Houston becomes top ranked team in the country after win over Bearcats
Houston continued to dominate the Bearcats with a 72-59 win on Sunday evening to stay atop the AAC standings with a 4-0 record and move to #1 in the latest Associated Press Top 25.
Kelvin Sampson’s team showed why it’s a legitimate national championship contender at Cincinnati with great decision making, multiple scoring threats and physical defense.
Even though it’s still early in the conference slate, the Cougars appear to be on track for a second straight AAC championship, while Cincinnati currently sits in sixth place with a 2-2 record.
Both teams will return to action on Wednesday night as the Bearcats take on East Carolina with a chance to bounce back at Fifth Third Arena, while top ranked Houston hosts South Florida.