Postgame Notes: Cincinnati 82, USF 74

2018-19 Cincinnati Men's Basketball Postgame Notes
Cincinnati (15-3, 4-1 AAC) 82, USF (12-5, 2-3 AAC) 74
January 15, 2019 • Fifth Third Arena (Cincinnati)

Starting Five: G Keith Williams • G Justin Jenifer • F Trevon Scott • C Nysier Brooks • G Jarron Cumberland

The Turning Point: In a back-and-forth contest, USF came from behind to tie the game at 65-65 with 6:18 remaining before Cincinnati put together a 7-3 run with 4:24 remaining as Jarron Cumberland tallied five of those seven points to put the Bearcats on top, 72-67, a lead the hosts would not relinquish.

Leaders: Jarron Cumberland had a career night on the court as he pumped in a career-high 34 points, including 14-of-16 from the free throw line, to record the first 30-point game for Cincinnati in just under three years. Cumberland was one of five Bearcats in double figures with Trevon Scott (12), Keith Williams (11), Justin Jenifer (10) and Nysier Brooks (10) joining in. USF saw four players hit double figures with Laquincy Rideau leading the way with 26 points. Alexis Yetna (12), David Collins (10) and Michael Durr (10) also scored in double figures for the Bulls.

// TEAM NOTES

• Cincinnati improved to 15-3 overall and 4-1 in the American Athletic Conference while USF fell to 12-5 and 2-2 in league play.
• IN THE SERIES: Cincinnati won its 10th in a row against USF to move to 33-8 all-time in the series. The Bearcats also improved to 19-1 when the series is played in the Queen City.
• With the win, Cincinnati is now 44-4 in home AAC games since joining the league when it began in the 2013-14 season. In the previous five seasons, UC posted records of 8-1, 8-1, 8-1, 9-0 and 8-1 before starting this year at 3-0 with tonight's win.
• The Bearcats are now 44-2 at home since the start of the 2016-17 season. They entered the game today leading the nation in home wins (43) and held the highest winning percentage (.956) since the start of the 2016-17 season.
• HALFTIME REPORT: After a slow start that saw Cincinnati trailing, 6-2, at the first media timeout, the Bearcats came to life with a 10-0 run over a 2:24 span to take their first lead and build it into a 43-31 advantage at the half. Jarron Cumberland scored 19 points in the opening stanza to spark UC, including a made three-pointer from the top of the arc while being fouled that put him over 1,000 points in his career. Six different Bearcats scored in the half with Keith Williams, Justin Jenifer and Trevon Scott each adding six points while Eliel Nsoseme added two points and a career-high-tying four blocks. Laquincy Rideau led the Bulls with 11 points in the half as six players scored at least two points for USF.
• CHARITY WORK: Both teams found their way to the free throw line tonight as the two combined to go 51-of-58 (.879). In fact, the Bearcats, who connected on 29-of-32 shooting from the stripe, made more free throws than baskets (23-of-51) while the Bulls nearly did the same, connecting on 22 foul shots and making 23 shots from the floor. 
• Cincinnati's 29 free throws made tonight are the most this season, surpassing the 26 made against Northern Kentucky earlier this year. In fact, in the past two games (vs. UConn and vs. USF), the Bearcats have shot 54-of-70 (.771) from the line after going 25-of-38 against UConn.
• The Bearcats recorded nine blocks and 12 steals tonight. The blocks total is a season high, surpassing the eight UC tallied against both NC Central and Tulane while the 12 thefts mark the fourth time this season the Bearcats have recorded 10 or more in a game.
• Cincinnati saw five players score at least 10 points on the night, just the fourth time that has happened this season. So far this year, five Bearcats have scored in double figures three times – most recently against Northern Kentucky – with six finding the scoring touch once – against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

// PLAYER NOTES

• With 9:54 remaining in the first half, Jarron Cumberland put up a three-point shot from the top of the arc and splashed it home while being fouled to give him 1,001 points in his Bearcats career. The junior from Wilmington, Ohio, is now the 53rd player in program history to score 1,000 or more points in a career. Sitting on 1,027 points to date, Cumberland ranks 51st all-time in UC scoring with Field Williams (2001-04) sitting just ahead of the junior with 1,030 points.
• Cumberland finished the night with a career-high 34 points with two rebounds, three assists and four steals. His point total is the most scored in a game by a Bearcats player since Troy Caupain scored 37 in the 104-97 four-overtime loss to UConn in the AAC tournament on March 11, 2016.
• 34 FOR 34: Cumberland not only reached the 1,000 point plateau in the game, but also scored a career-high 34 points. Previously, his highest point total came twice, first against Georgia State in the NCAA Tournament last year and then again against UCLA earlier this season. In fact, tonight marked the eighth time this season – and second game in a row – that Cumberland has scored 20 or more in a game and the 11th time in his UC career.
• Cumberland's addition to the 1,000 point club makes him the ninth player under Mick Cronin to join the list with both Gary Clark (1,462) and Jacob Evans III (1,233) joining last year. 
• Eliel Nsoseme recorded four blocks in the first half of play to tie his career high. He previously recorded four at Xavier (12/2/17). His season high was two (twice), most recently at ECU (1/5/19).
• Keith Williams finished with 11 points on the night to mark the 13th time this year he has hit double figures (in 18 games). Last year, as a freshman, he scored 10 or more just twice.