TicketsCINCINNATI -- The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team won its 10th game of the season with a 76-67 victory over Tennessee Tech at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday night.
Sophomore guard Mike Saunders led the way with 15 points (all in the second half) for the Bearcats, who closed out non-conference play with a 10-3 record. Junior forward Jeremiah Davenport and junior guard Mika Adams-Woods added 11 points apiece as Cincinnati shot 44 percent from the field, got 41 bench points and held a 36-31 advantage on the glass.
Tennessee Tech (3-10) was led by 15 points and four rebounds from Mamoudou Diarra in his return to the Queen City. Diarra played the last four seasons at Cincinnati and earned his degree from the school.
The Bearcats jumped out to a 9-4 lead four minutes into the game when senior guard John Newmann III drilled a three-pointer. Davenport scored two baskets early, making a putback before Adams-Woods found him for an easy lay-in on a fast break. Cincinnati extended the lead to 14-6 on a layup by sophomore forward Jarrett Hensley at 12:21.
Adams-Woods took a perfectly placed Abdul Ado pass and drained a three for a 10-point advantage (20-10) as Cincinnati started 7-of-14 from the field in the game's first 10 minutes. Redshirt-freshman center Viktor Lakhin's putback made the score 26-17 and Adams-Woods got his second three of the night a couple possessions later for a 31-21 lead with four minutes left in the first half. Newman III's third basket of the night gave the Bearcats their biggest lead and a 37-26 halftime lead.
The second half started off in style with Saunders Jr. finding Lakhin for a perfect alley-oop pass. Off a Hayden Koval block, Saunders' pull-up jumper put the Bearcats in front, 49-38, with 13:28 remaining.
After a Tennessee Tech 6-0 run, Koval answered by scoring his first points of the night off Abdul Ado's third assist to make the score 55-49 with 9:43 left. Koval and Adams-Woods each hit threes on a 6-0 run and gave Cincinnati a 61-51 lead.
The Bearcats' defense still had their say on the proceedings, as a shot-clock violation and a steal by Davenport gave Saunders Jr. an easy lay-up and sealed the victory.
Cincinnati is now 3-0 against Tennessee tech with its last win before tonight in 2005.
NOTABLES
-The Bearcats (37-26) have led at the half in 12 of 13 games.
-UC (36-31) has out-rebounded its opponent in each of its10 wins.
-Mika Adams-Woods posted his fifth double-figure scoring game while matching a season-high of 11 points.
-Mike Saunders Jr., who scored all of 15 his points in the second half, reached double-figures for the fourth time.
-Hayden Koval had a season-high nine points.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati opens American Athletic Conference play on the road at No. 13 Houston at 8 p.m. on Dec. 28.
Sophomore guard Mike Saunders led the way with 15 points (all in the second half) for the Bearcats, who closed out non-conference play with a 10-3 record. Junior forward Jeremiah Davenport and junior guard Mika Adams-Woods added 11 points apiece as Cincinnati shot 44 percent from the field, got 41 bench points and held a 36-31 advantage on the glass.
Tennessee Tech (3-10) was led by 15 points and four rebounds from Mamoudou Diarra in his return to the Queen City. Diarra played the last four seasons at Cincinnati and earned his degree from the school.
The Bearcats jumped out to a 9-4 lead four minutes into the game when senior guard John Newmann III drilled a three-pointer. Davenport scored two baskets early, making a putback before Adams-Woods found him for an easy lay-in on a fast break. Cincinnati extended the lead to 14-6 on a layup by sophomore forward Jarrett Hensley at 12:21.
Adams-Woods took a perfectly placed Abdul Ado pass and drained a three for a 10-point advantage (20-10) as Cincinnati started 7-of-14 from the field in the game's first 10 minutes. Redshirt-freshman center Viktor Lakhin's putback made the score 26-17 and Adams-Woods got his second three of the night a couple possessions later for a 31-21 lead with four minutes left in the first half. Newman III's third basket of the night gave the Bearcats their biggest lead and a 37-26 halftime lead.
The second half started off in style with Saunders Jr. finding Lakhin for a perfect alley-oop pass. Off a Hayden Koval block, Saunders' pull-up jumper put the Bearcats in front, 49-38, with 13:28 remaining.
After a Tennessee Tech 6-0 run, Koval answered by scoring his first points of the night off Abdul Ado's third assist to make the score 55-49 with 9:43 left. Koval and Adams-Woods each hit threes on a 6-0 run and gave Cincinnati a 61-51 lead.
The Bearcats' defense still had their say on the proceedings, as a shot-clock violation and a steal by Davenport gave Saunders Jr. an easy lay-up and sealed the victory.
Cincinnati is now 3-0 against Tennessee tech with its last win before tonight in 2005.
NOTABLES
-The Bearcats (37-26) have led at the half in 12 of 13 games.
-UC (36-31) has out-rebounded its opponent in each of its10 wins.
-Mika Adams-Woods posted his fifth double-figure scoring game while matching a season-high of 11 points.
-Mike Saunders Jr., who scored all of 15 his points in the second half, reached double-figures for the fourth time.
-Hayden Koval had a season-high nine points.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati opens American Athletic Conference play on the road at No. 13 Houston at 8 p.m. on Dec. 28.