Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats take down Virginia Tech 81-72 to advance to NIT second round

After trailing at halftime, the Bearcats used a dominant second half performance to take down former conference rival Virginia Tech 81-72 in the NIT first round tonight at Fifth Third Arena!

David DeJulius finished with a game-high 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds to lead the way, while Landers Nolley II totaled 15 points and 12 rebounds against his former program.

It was a competitive matchup as both teams traded punches before the Bearcats surged ahead in the final minutes, highlighted by a game-sealing floater from DeJulius to take a 74-68 lead.

Jeremiah Davenport scored 12 points off the bench including a triple to give the Bearcats a 66-63 lead with 5:32 left in the second half. Ody Oguama added 10 points and six rebounds in the win.

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats take down Virginia Tech 81-72 to advance to NIT second round

Virginia Tech took a narrow lead into the locker room but Cincinnati was able to respond with an impressive second half run to secure a victory and advance to the second round of the NIT.

Wes Miller’s team will face Hofstra on Saturday at 2:00 PM with a chance to clinch a spot in the NIT quarterfinals. Hofstra pulled off an upset over top seeded Rutgers in the first round.

During the postgame press conference, Miller broke down the Bearcats win over Virginia Tech and looked ahead to the upcoming matchup against Hofstra via Cincinnati Athletics.

"“Our kids came out and played their tails off. I told them in the locker room that it makes me proud as a coach when we play with that kind of intensity and effort. It wasn’t always pretty because we made a bunch of defensive errors and we turned it over a couple times but that was Bearcat basketball. When you play the right way and with the right intensity, good things happen. It was nice to see shots go in but we willed it in because of our effort, energy and ability to share the ball. We moved it so much better in the second half. I’ve said this team responds over and over again. They have set a standard for our program that no matter what happens, we’re going to respond. I’ve never worried about that because of their character. They are competitive guys that are about winning.”"