There were plenty of highlights in the Bearcats recent win over UCF including back to back fastbreak dunks and David DeJulius’ clutch jumper in the final minute!
Wes Miller’s team was active defensively from the jump, recording the most takeaways since 2015 with 24 forced turnovers and 16 steals on Saturday.
During the first half, Jeremiah Davenport and Viktor Lakhin benefited from a couple of steals with dunks to cap off a 14-0 run and force a timeout.
Just moments after finding Lakhin to regain the lead in the second half, DeJulius knocked down a stepback 3-pointer to seal the win with just 53.7 seconds left!
Just moments after finding Viktor Lakhin for a layup to regain the lead, David DeJulius knocked down a clutch stepback 3-pointer to seal the win! #Bearcats 🔥https://t.co/is8Bp8YyYKpic.twitter.com/dmiaCRuo9r
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) February 4, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: David DeJulius clutch triple highlights the Bearcats win over UCF
In addition to playing at a high level defensively, the Bearcats consistently created quality shots and took advantage of a lack of interior presence.
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 AAC play.
Lakhin totaled a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds, while DeJulius finished with 19 points and seven assists on 4/6 shooting from 3-point range.
During a postgame press conference, Miller discussed the Bearcats critical win over UCF and how the crowd made a major impact per Cincinnati Athletics.
Wes Miller’s team was active defensively from the jump, recording the most steals (16) since 2015 including a pair of fastbreak dunks in the first half! #Bearcats 🔴⚫️🐾https://t.co/Ehssls9DIKpic.twitter.com/h7MArNx89W
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) February 4, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Takeaways from the Bearcats critical win against Central Florida
Following a dominant first half showing, the Bearcats held off a late surge to escape with a 73-64 win against Central Florida on Saturday afternoon.
Despite leading by double digits for most of the second half, Cincinnati allowed UCF to tie it with just over two minutes left before eventually securing a win.
There is still plenty of room for improvement on both ends of the floor but it’s clear the Bearcats are continuing to improve with March right around the corner!
Cincinnati will look to extend the win streak at Tulane on Tuesday night with an opportunity to move into fourth place in the conference standings.