Despite giving up a double digit lead in the second half, Cincinnati was able to fend off Central Florida 73-64 behind a dominant defensive outing!
Wes Miller’s team was active defensively from the opening tip en route to recording the most takeaways since 2015 with 16 steals.
In addition to playing at a high level defensively, the Bearcats consistently created quality shots and took advantage of a lack of interior presence.
Viktor Lakhin racked up a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds, while David DeJulius scored 19 points including a clutch 3-pointer to seal the win.
Party at Fifth Third! @GoBearcatsMBB rallies to knock off UCF 73-64 behind huge games from Lakhin, DeJulius, and Nolley. #Bearcats | @FifthThird pic.twitter.com/hauPVIxV0N
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) February 4, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Takeaways from the Bearcats critical win against Central Florida
DeJulius got the scoring started with a steal and layup, followed by two straight triples from Landers Nolley II to give the Bearcats an early lead.
Midway through the first half, Jeremiah Davenport and Lakhin finished a pair of fastbreak dunks to cap off a 14-0 run and force UCF to call timeout.
Cincinnati led by as much as 16 points during the second half before holding on for a win to improve to 16-8 overall and 7-4 in conference play.
There is still plenty of room for improvement on both ends of the floor but it’s clear the Bearcats are continuing to get better with March right around the corner!
#Bearcats survive late surge to secure a 73-64 win over UCF to improve to 16-8 and 7-4 in #AAC play! 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/dihpsZagxp
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) February 4, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats survive second half surge to secure 73-64 win over UCF
Following a dominant first half performance, the Bearcats held off a late surge to escape with a 73-64 win against UCF on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena.
Wes Miller’s team compiled 18 points off turnovers to take a 31-20 lead into halftime as Nolley scored a game-high 10 points in the first half.
During a postgame press conference, Miller discussed the critical win and how the team can continue to improve moving forward per Cincinnati Athletics.
The Bearcats will look to extend the win streak at Tulane on Tuesday night with a chance to move into fourth place in the crowded AAC standings.