Following a slow start, the Cincinnati Bearcats trail 42-32 at halftime against the Memphis Tigers at Fifth Third Arena. Wes Miller’s team shot just 1/13 from 3-point range in the first half.
On the opening possession, senior forward Landers Nolley II connected on a triple to give the Bearcats an early lead against his former team but Memphis responded with a 12-0 run.
Despite struggling to find a rhythm offensively, Cincinnati answered with a 6-0 run to cut into the deficit as David DeJulius found Viktor Lakhin for a dunk with 11:48 left until halftime.
Nolley knocked down a jumper and a pair of free throws to get the deficit into single digits but DeAndre Williams drilled a 3-pointer in the final seconds to put Memphis up 42-32.
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats get off to slow start and trail at halftime against Memphis Tigers
- Date: Sunday, January 22 at 1:00 PM
- Location: Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati
- TV Broadcast: ESPN2 and fuboTV
- Series History: Bearcats lead 47-37
Stay tuned for live coverage for the Cincinnati Bearcats highly-anticipated matchup against AAC rival Memphis Tigers and watch the 84th all-time meeting on ESPN2 and fuboTV!
Both programs are hoping to secure a first round bye in the AAC Tournament and stay alive for an NCAA Tournament at-large so the result is crucial with March Madness around the corner.
Memphis players to watch include former SMU guard Kendric Davis, All-AAC forward DeAndre Williams and others. Davis is leading the AAC with 21.2 points and 5.7 assists per game.
Cincinnati Basketball: Breaking down the series history as the Bearcats host rival Memphis
Make sure to check out a break down of the storied series history as the Bearcats prepare to host the rival Memphis Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena.
After the first meeting occurred on January 22, 1968, Cincinnati and Memphis have faced off 84 times with the Bearcats holding a 47-37 all-time record against the long-time rival Tigers.
Coming into the highly-anticipated game, Cincinnati has lost three in a row and four of the last five matchups with Memphis including a couple of single-digit losses last season.
In the two matchups a year ago, former Memphis forward Landers Nolley II averaged 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds to help beat the Bearcats before transferring to Cincinnati in the spring.