Men's Basketball Heads to Hofstra for NIT's Second Round

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati men's basketball team will look to build off its Wednesday night win over Virginia Tech when it travels to Long Island to battle Hofstra on Saturday (2 p.m.) in the second round of the NIT.

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Cincinnati earned its seventh-straight ACC win with a hard-fought 81-72 win over Virginia Tech in its first round. The game featured 13 ties and 11 lead changes, as well as Landers Nolley II's sixth double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) to lead five double-digit scorers, and all six of his on the year have been UC wins. The Bearcats were 0-for-5 from deep in the first half, its first time not hitting one for a period, but went 6-for-14 from there and 14-for-15 from the foul line for the 52-point explosion after the break.

David DeJulius, after scoring a career-high 30 points in his Senior Day against SMU, posted a game-high 21 points in his absolute final home game. With seven assists, he now has 179 on the year to pull within one of cracking the school's top-five. His total and average (5.3) is the most since All-American Steve Logan in 2001-02. He has five-plus assists in 18 of his last 19 games, and his 3.09 assist-turnover ratio ranks seventh (best since Troy Caupain's 3.36 in 2017, which was fifth). He even has two turnovers over his last three games (97 minutes). Mika Adams-Woods' 10 points, including two threes to kickstart the team's explosive second half, made for the sixth time in the last seven games that UC has won when he's scored in double-figures.

With 40 wins at Cincinnati, Wes Miller has the most of any UC coach in his first two years since Ed Jucker (56), which included his 1961 and 1962 national titles. Cincinnati improved to 19-2 when winning the boards, and it was only its second win of the year when trailing at the half.

SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between the teams. Cincinnati is playing its first game in New York since defeating Nebraska (65-61) and George Washington (61-56) in the Barclays Center in November 2015.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Cincinnati has boasted 15 double-doubles, by five different players, so far this season, making UC 12-1 when that happens (Tulane on Feb. 7 as only exception). Skillings' on Dec. 4 marking the first by a true freshman since current Houston Rockets rookie Tari Eason in 2020-21. Cincinnati also has two games (Bryant, ECU) with two double-doubles.

PLAYER  (GAME) STAT LINE
Viktor Lakhin (Cleveland State) 14 pts, 12 rebs
Viktor Lakhin (NJIT) 10 pts, 10 rebs
Viktor Lakhin (Bryant) 16 pts, 11 rebs
Dan Skillings Jr. (Bryant) 14 pts, 13 rebs
Viktor Lakhin (Detroit Mercy) 18 pts, 15 rebs
Viktor Lakhin (Tulane) 13 pts, 13 rebs
Landers Nolley II (at Wichita State) 12 pts, 11 rebs
Landers Nolley II (East Carolina) 20 pts, 10 rebs
David DeJulius (East Carolina) 11 pts, 12 asts
Landers Nolley II (at SMU) 16 pts, 12 rebs
Viktor Lakhin (Memphis) 22 pts, 10 rebs
Landers Nolley II (Tulsa) 13 pts, 13 rebs
Ody Oguama (at Tulane) 16 pts, 13 rebs
Landers Nolley II (South Florida) 13 pts, 10 rebs
Landers Nolley II (Virginia Tech) 15 pts, 12 rebs

ALL-TIME NIT APPEARANCES]
Cincinnati is making its 11th NIT appearance and first since 2010. The Bearcats hold a 7-3 home record (9-10 overall), with their last appearance coming in 2010. UC opened by defeating Damian Lillard and Weber State, 76-62, before falling at home to eventual champion Dayton.

Cincinnati's previous 2010 appearance kicked off what would eventually become a nine-year NCAA run (2011-19). Its 1991 bid also preceded a 1992 NCAA Final Four trip.

Nolley was the NIT's Most Valuable Player while leading Memphis to the 2021 title.