Cincinnati star point guard David DeJulius dropped a career-high 30 points on Senior Day as the Bearcats took down SMU 97-74 in the regular season finale this evening at Fifth Third Arena!
Wes Miller’s team jumped out to an early lead and eventually secured an impressive win to improve to 20-11 and 11-7 in conference play with the AAC Tournament coming up next week.
After getting off to a quick start, the Bearcats took a 51-34 lead into the locker room as Landers Nolley II scored 14 points including 4/5 shooting from 3-point range in the first half.
Despite leading by double digits for the entire second half, Cincinnati continued to be aggressive on both ends of the floor as Nolley finished with 24 points and five rebounds on his birthday.
#Bearcats blew past SMU 97-74 to secure a 20th win in the regular season finale today! David DeJulius finished with a career-high 30 points and six assists. 🔴⚫️🐾https://t.co/4Ff2kjjWoH pic.twitter.com/H8tKKpdApf
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) March 5, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: David DeJulius leads Bearcats to 97-74 blowout over SMU on Senior Day
It was a perfect way to cap off the regular season as DeJulius set a new career-high by knocking down a triple to reach the 30-point plateau before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
With the regular season officially in the rearview, the Bearcats turn their attention to a first round matchup against Temple in the AAC Tournament on Friday afternoon at Dickies Arena.
Following the blowout win over the Mustangs, DeJulius discussed how it felt to have such a storybook ending on Senior Day in the postgame press conference per Cincinnati Athletics.
"“It’s an amazing moment for everything to come to fruition like that. No amount of money can replicate that moment right there. I’m glad that I was here during this time through this pivotal change. I pride myself on not only being a good player but more importantly, leaving the program better than where I found it. Coach Wes is second to none in terms of his genuine love and he embodies the fact that you can mix character and still be a big time coach. He wants to grow the program organically, where players are able to come back in 10-15 years and be proud of the work they did. Sometimes it takes longer when you do it like that but it’s the right way. It’s been a pleasure to play for him and see the growth of the program from when I first got here until now.”"