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CINCINNATI - A thunderous dunk by freshman Gary Clark (Clayton, N.C./Clayton) off a steal provided a strong capper to the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team's 114th season opener, a 52-37 win over Saint Francis, Friday inside Fifth Third Arena.
Clark, one of seven UC newcomers in 2014-15, was one of two Bearcats in double figures, scoring 10 points, pulling down six rebounds and grabbing four steals. Fellow newcomer Octavius Ellis (Memphis, Tenn./Trinity Valley CC) scored a game-high 13 and eight rebounds along with three steals and two blocks.
Clark is the first true freshman to start a season opener for the Bearcats since Lance Stephenson (against Prairie View A&M on Nov. 16, 2009).
UC (1-0) cruised to a 15-point win, extending an 11-game winning streak in non-conference home games. The Bearcats are 93-21 all time in season lidlifters and have won seven straight openers on the home court. The crowd of 7,114 included a packed student section that was loud and into the game from the start.
UC showed the qualities of a Mick Cronin coached team, blocking 11 shots, holding the Red Flash to a 30 percent shooing effort (12 of 40) and forcing 21 turnovers, converting them into 18 points. The Bearcats did not have their best shooting night, going 2-of-14 (.143) from behind the arc, but made 80 percent of its field goals (17 of 21) in the paint.
Quadri Moore (Linden, N.J./Linden) finished with nine points, two rebounds and two steals in his collegiate debut. Troy Caupain (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) scored eight and dished out four assists while Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) added seven points and two assists.
Ronnie Drinnon and Ben Millaud-Meunier led Saint Francis with nine and eight points, respectively with Drinnon leading the way on the boards with six.
UC led 29-17 at the break, holding the Red Flash to a 6-of-21 shooting effort in the first half. The total was the lowest scored in an opening half against the Bearcats since Marquette scored only 13 in a first half in 2013.
The Bearcats made 8 of their first 11 shots, finished the half shooting over 50 percent (.542), held the visitors without a three-point basket (0-for-5) and had a 20-12 advantage in the paint over Saint Francis.
UC honored former standout basketball player Dick Dallmer at halftime. Dallmer, now 90-years old, was the Bearcats first All-American in any sport.
He played for the Bearcats from 1948-1950, earned All-America honorable mention honors in 1948 (AP) and 1949 (AP) and third team laurels in 1950 (AP). The Middletown, Ohio native closed his career in 1950 as UC's all-time scoring leader with 1,098 points, though he did not lead the team in scoring in any of his three seasons. Dallmer helped direct UC to three consecutive Mid-American Conference championships. He earned three team most valuable player awards during his career, a feat matched only by the great Oscar Robertson.
UC returns to the court on Wednesday, Nov. 19 against Morehead State, continuing a four-game homestand to open the campaign inside Fifth Third Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Season ticket packages for the 2014-15 Bearcats campaign start at just $99 in the Bearcat Lair section where sales are at an eight-year high.
The UC home schedule features key games against nonconference opponents VCU, San Diego State, and Xavier. The Bearcats' American Athletic Conference home schedule includes contests with Temple, SMU, Memphis, and defending national champion UConn.
Additional locations are available for purchase for the final exhibition game with lower level tickets starting at $10. Please visit BearcatsBasketball.com or call 1-877-CATS-TIX for more information about all ticket options.