Postgame Notes vs. Memphis

Cincinnati Men's Basketball Postgame Notes
21/22 Cincinnati (12-2, 1-0 AAC) 82, Memphis (9-3, 0-1 AAC) 48
December 31, 2017 • BB&T Arena (Highland Heights, Ky.)

Today's Attendance: 8,423

Starting Five: G Justin Jenifer • F Jacob Evans III • F Gary Clark • F Kyle Washington • G Jarron Cumberland

The Turning Point: Cincinnati started the game on a 7-2 run and doubled the margin to 17-7 with just under 10 minutes gone in the first half. Memphis pulled it down to seven at 18-11 with 7:33 left, but UC put the Tigers away with a 17-5 run to close the half, leading 35-16 at the break. The Bearcats led by as many as 36 in the second half, winning by 34.

Leaders: Jarron Cumberland scored a team-high 15 points to lead the Bearcats as four different Cincinnati players reached double digits in scoring on the day. Joining Cumberland with 10 or more points were Trevor Moore and Jacob Evans III, both of whom scored 12 points, while Gary Clark tallied 13 points. Kareem Brewton, Jr., led the Tigers with a game-high 17 points while Mike Parks, Jr., added 10 points as well.

// TEAM NOTES

• With the win, Cincinnati improved to 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the American Athletic Conference while Memphis fell to 9-3 overall and 0-1 in the AAC.
• With the victory, the Bearcats improved to 24-4 all-time in conference openers since 1990 and 9-3 in league lid lifters under Mick Cronin. Cincinnati, who is now 4-1 in American Athletic Conference openers, has now won eight of their last nine league openers. 
• IN THE SERIES: Today marked the 75th time the Bearcats and Tigers have met on the court with Cincinnati now holding a 42-33 lead in the all-time series following the victory. The Bearcats are also 24-10 in home contests against Memphis with a 5-1 mark at neutral sites while the Tigers lead, 22-13, when they host the game. The victory for UC also marks the seventh game in a row in the series that the home team has won.
• The win today extended UC's nation-leading home winning streak to 34 games. The last time the Bearcats suffered a defeat on their home court came December 29, 2015, inside Fifth Third Arena to Temple in the 2015-16 AAC opener.
• HALFTIME REPORT: Gary Clark scored 12 points and added seven rebounds in the first half of play to stake the hosts to a 35-16 advantage at the break. Cincinnati held Memphis to 26 percent shooting from the floor while forcing eight turnovers – six of which were UC steals – to keep the visitors at bay. Jarron Cumberland added seven points and Trevor Moore chipped in six as the Bearcats held Memphis to 16 points, tying for the second-fewest allowed in the opening half this year. Memphis was paced by Mike Parks, Jr., who scored a team-high six points.
• For the fourth time this year, the Bearcats held an opponent to 20 points or fewer in the opening half of play and, for third time, limited a foe to 16 or fewer points. The lowest allowed this year was the 14 scored by Richmond (11/21/17) at the Cayman Islands Classic before Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored 16 (12/19/17) recently.
• With the Tigers shooting 32.1 percent on the day, the Bearcats have now limited its opponent to 40 percent shooting or lower in 10 of UC's 14 games played this year. With Memphis scoring 48 points, the Bearcats have now allowed only 14.8 percent of its opponents to score 70 or more points in a game since the start of the 2010-11 season (38 of 257 games).
• The 48 points allowed to Memphis ties for the fewest allowed this season, equaling the total allotted to Richmond (11/21/17) in a 75-48 win in the Cayman Islands Classic. It also is the third-fewest points allowed in the series after UM scored just 47 points in a pair of games against UC. Those two games were February 8, 1969, in a 69-47 win at Memphis and a 68-47 win at home on March 12, 1994. 
• The 34-point margin of victory is the largest in the series with Memphis, surpassing the 31-point win against the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament (3/29/92) in an 88-57 decision. The 30+ margin is the fifth the Bearcats have recorded this season, a list that includes Western Carolina (51), Coppin State (43), Alabama State (32) and Savannah State (30).
• UC had a +15 edge in rebounding margin, 45-30, including a 14-11 advantage on the offensive glass.
• UC tallied 23 assists on 32 made baskets, one off the Bearcats season high of 24 and the sixth time this season UC has gone over the 20-assists mark in a game.
• UC converted 13 UM turnovers into 17 points and have averaged 21.1 points off turnoers per game in 2017-18.
• UC recorded four blocked shots and has stuffed three or more shots in every game this season. 

// PLAYER NOTES

• Gary Clark was part of today's starting lineup, giving him 115 career starts, which moves him past Cashmere Wright (2010-13) for the second-most starts in program history. Only Deonta Vaughn (2007-10) is ahead of Clark having appeared in the starting lineup 123 times during his Bearcats career. If Clark remains in the starting lineup in each of the upcoming games this season, he would tie Vaughn on January 31 in a home game with Houston and break the record on the road at UConn on February 3.
• Clark finished the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds to record his 22nd career double-double and his fourth of the year. Clark's career total (22) now has him one shy of tying Yancy Gates (2009-12) for the most double-doubles in the Mick Cronin Era. 
• With his 10 rebounds today, Clark brought his career total to 941 boards, tying him with Jim Ard (1968-70) for the seventh-most in program history. Next on the list is Rick Roberson (1967-69), who pulled down 945 rebounds in his career.
• Trevor Moore scored a career-high 12 points in the game, surpassing his previous best of 11 that he tallied against Alabama State (11/27/17). It also marks just his second career double-point scoring total as a member of the Bearcats.
• Jarron Cumberland had a team-high 15 points, along with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot. It was his ninth double-figure scoring game of the season, 23rd of his career, the fifth time this season he has fished out four or more assists and the third time in 2017-18 he has been UC's leading scorer.
• Jacob Evans III finished with 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and a steal. The six assists tied a season and career high
• With 53 seconds remaining the in game, two Bearcats helped each other hit career milestones. On the play, Sam Martin dribbled into the lane and found Eliel Nsoseme wide open in the lane where the big man scored a quick two. The assist was the first for Martin in his collegiate career while raising Nsoseme's point total to five, giving him a career high. His previous best was three points in the season-opener against Savannah State (11/10/17).