TicketsBy Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – When you take the floor knowing that you're probably going to win simply based on your talent level, as the University of Cincinnati Bearcats did Tuesday night, the hardest thing to do is to maintain a strong focus and try to get something out of it.
That's why UC coach Mick Cronin was so pleased by the Bearcats' 105-49 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff before 8,513 relaxed fans at Fifth Third Arena.
The score and the victory will probably be mostly forgotten by the time the Bearcats take the floor Saturday night at UNLV, but both Cronin and his players were convinced that they made the most of their time on the floor against the overmatched Golden Lions.
"Any time you step on the floor you're trying to have kids show that they're improving in the areas that they need to improve in," Cronin said. "We did a lot of that tonight. In a game like this, you're trying to get your younger guys as many minutes as you can. A lot of good things happened out there tonight for us."
Led by Justin Jenifer with 13 points, the Bearcats had six players score in double figures in UC's first 100-point effort since it beat Western Carolina 102-51 on November 13 of last season. The Bearcats reached the 100-point mark on a 3-point play by walk-on guard Sam Martin with 1:57 remaining. Martin scored a career-high five points and sophomore center Mamoudou Diarra matched his career high with nine points in a career-high 13 minutes.
"One of the biggest concerns the coaching staff was having the last few days was that they were saying, 'Don't come unfocused," said junior forward Trevon Scott. "You prepare for every game like it's the conference championship. Obviously, we were focused. We were ready. It's fun after awhile, especially seeing players like Sam Martin and especially Mamoudou. He struggles at times. Seeing him succeed is very fun because we know the hard work he puts in every day with us. To see it show, it's exciting."
The Bearcats (6-1) forced the Golden Lions (2-5) into 31 turnovers and came up with 67 deflections, a record for a Cronin-coached UC team. The Bearcats held UAPB's Martaveous McNight – the nation's fourth-leading scorer - to seven points, 21 below his average of 28. UC shot 64.1 percent from the field and made 11 of 19 from three-point range.
UAPB scored first on a three-pointer by Charles Jackson. UC, which has won six straight games, then made three consecutive three-pointers – two by Jarron Cumberland and one by Jenifer - during a 13-0 run that gave the Bearcats a 13-3 lead. UC led 17-8 before reeling off 16 straight points to go on top, 33-8.
"They took a lot of pressure off of us when they scored those three-pointers," said junior forward Rashawn Fredericks, who scored 10 points in 23 minutes.
"People are starting to see the real Rashawn Fredericks," Cronin said. "He's a tough kid, he's confident, and he's going to help us a lot. He's starting to figure out how we do things defensively. He's communicating really well."
The UC defense swarmed all over the Golden Lions, who appeared helpless to take care of the ball against the Bearcats' pressure. UAPB turned the ball over 19 times in the first half, leading to 26 UC points.
The Bearcats, who led 59-22 at halftime, shot 63.2 percent in the first half, including six of 10 from three-point range, and held UAPB to 30 percent shooting. The Golden Eagles made only six field goals the entire first half.
Cumberland, who scored 10 points in the first half, did not play in the second. He simply wasn't needed. He had six assists to go with10 points in 14 minutes.
The Bearcats also romped over UAPB last year, 77-49, but the victory this year was much more satisfying to Cronin, who remembers that his players lost their intensity in last year's meeting and did not play well in the second half. That wasn't the case this time, as the Bearcats kept applying pressure, as evidenced by the fact that the final score was their largest lead of the night.
A game like that, Cronin said, "can hurt you if you get worse. I don't know who said this, but every time you play you're either getting better or you're getting worse. I thought we got better tonight. Our focus was great."
Cronin announced after the game that freshmen LaQuill Hardnett and Prince Gillam Toyambi will both likely redshirt this season. Neither has appeared in a game this season.
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at the Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January, 2015.