TicketsCINCINNATI -- Back again and with full attendance to boot, the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team is set for the latest installment of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout when it heads to Xavier on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.
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THE RUNDOWN
The Bearcats (7-2) are on the (short) road again for the fourth time this season and will look to use their early tests to their advantage. UC, after defeating No. 14 Illinois by 20, led Arkansas by one point late the following night in Kansas City, then survived Miami's (Ohio) largest crowd since 1999, rallying from an eight-point deficit and holding on at the buzzer.
UC defeated Bryant on Sunday night, never trailing after the 6:05 mark of the first half. The Bearcats were without the services of Jeremiah Davenport, but David DeJulius (team-best 13.0 ppg) led a group of four in double-figures. Davenport is averaging 13.8 ppg in UC wins compared to 3.0 in the two losses. Viktor Lakhin also earned AAC Freshman of the Week honors after producing his first double-double with career-highs in points (13), rebounds (11), minutes (24), free-throws (5) and attempts (6) on Sunday.
Cincinnati ranks sixth nationally in field-goal defense (35.5 percent), 13th in turnovers (9.9 per game), 14th in three-point defense (25.9), and 20th in scoring defense (58.6 ppg). Mika Adams-Woods previously had consecutive five-assist, no-turnover games to jump to first in assist-turnover ratio and is now fourth at 4.86. Only Arkansas has cracked 70-plus, and UC has held four of its nine foes to sub-20-percent shooting from deep. The Bearcats have also led at the half each game this season.
XAVIER SERIES HISTORY
Arguably the most-passionate rivalry in college basketball, UC leads 51-37 in a series that began in 1928 but hit full-speed in 1946. With a few Riverfront Coliseum games thrown in, UC is seeking its first win at Xavier since 2001. No team has won four-straight since UC from 1972-79.
The Musketeers (8-1) are coming off a 96-50 win over Ball State on Wednesday and sit 27th and 30th in the two major polls.
Last year's meeting featured 17 lead changes and 11 ties before the Bearcats ultimately fell, 77-69, in a COVID-empty Fifth Third Arena. DeJulius collected team-highs of 16 points and six assists to go with five rebounds, the highest-scoring output by any current Bearcat against Xavier. Adams-Woods, as a freshman, had 10 points in the 2019-20 meeting at Cintas, his eighth-career game, to join DeJulius as setting season-highs in scoring during consecutive Crosstown Shootouts.
Watch Live | Listen | Live Stats
THE RUNDOWN
The Bearcats (7-2) are on the (short) road again for the fourth time this season and will look to use their early tests to their advantage. UC, after defeating No. 14 Illinois by 20, led Arkansas by one point late the following night in Kansas City, then survived Miami's (Ohio) largest crowd since 1999, rallying from an eight-point deficit and holding on at the buzzer.
UC defeated Bryant on Sunday night, never trailing after the 6:05 mark of the first half. The Bearcats were without the services of Jeremiah Davenport, but David DeJulius (team-best 13.0 ppg) led a group of four in double-figures. Davenport is averaging 13.8 ppg in UC wins compared to 3.0 in the two losses. Viktor Lakhin also earned AAC Freshman of the Week honors after producing his first double-double with career-highs in points (13), rebounds (11), minutes (24), free-throws (5) and attempts (6) on Sunday.
Cincinnati ranks sixth nationally in field-goal defense (35.5 percent), 13th in turnovers (9.9 per game), 14th in three-point defense (25.9), and 20th in scoring defense (58.6 ppg). Mika Adams-Woods previously had consecutive five-assist, no-turnover games to jump to first in assist-turnover ratio and is now fourth at 4.86. Only Arkansas has cracked 70-plus, and UC has held four of its nine foes to sub-20-percent shooting from deep. The Bearcats have also led at the half each game this season.
XAVIER SERIES HISTORY
Arguably the most-passionate rivalry in college basketball, UC leads 51-37 in a series that began in 1928 but hit full-speed in 1946. With a few Riverfront Coliseum games thrown in, UC is seeking its first win at Xavier since 2001. No team has won four-straight since UC from 1972-79.
The Musketeers (8-1) are coming off a 96-50 win over Ball State on Wednesday and sit 27th and 30th in the two major polls.
Last year's meeting featured 17 lead changes and 11 ties before the Bearcats ultimately fell, 77-69, in a COVID-empty Fifth Third Arena. DeJulius collected team-highs of 16 points and six assists to go with five rebounds, the highest-scoring output by any current Bearcat against Xavier. Adams-Woods, as a freshman, had 10 points in the 2019-20 meeting at Cintas, his eighth-career game, to join DeJulius as setting season-highs in scoring during consecutive Crosstown Shootouts.