TicketsPROVO, Utah — BYU's 17-5 run to begin the second half gave it the separation it needed for an 80-52 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night.
Deep shots fell for BYU (15-for-24, including 11-of-15 in the second half), the second-straight game for a UC opponent. The Bearcats, though, through their first 17 games, were No. 2 nationally in allowing 26.9 percent from deep from beyond the arc.
Cincinnati led for 3:17 of the first half, with the Cougars hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 28-23 lead at the half. The Bearcats' 10 offensive rebounds came on the heels of having 12 over the last two games combined.
Those 28 points were the fewest BYU had in any home half this season, but the first five minutes of the second went the opposite way.
Last year's game saw Cincinnati trail by seven at the half and 10 early in the second before suffocating and stunning the No. 12 Cougars, 71-60.
Rayvon Griffith scored four points in his two minutes of action, the redshirt-freshman and Cincinnati native's first in Big 12 play.
FROM WES MILLER
"You have to give credit to BYU. Their shooting performance in the second half was difficult for us to deal with. We made some errors and spotted them some easy baskets, but they also made some difficult baskets and shots over the top. Going 11-for-15 (from deep in the second half), I don't think I've ever seen a team to do that. You can play terrible defense and people don't do that.
"You have to prepare to try to win a game on Tuesday night. We can't change what happened tonight. It's college basketball, and people get their butts kicked. You have to respond. We have a group of kids that aren't gonna give in."
UP NEXT
Cincinnati will make the short drive north for a Tuesday battle at Utah (10 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).
Deep shots fell for BYU (15-for-24, including 11-of-15 in the second half), the second-straight game for a UC opponent. The Bearcats, though, through their first 17 games, were No. 2 nationally in allowing 26.9 percent from deep from beyond the arc.
Cincinnati led for 3:17 of the first half, with the Cougars hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 28-23 lead at the half. The Bearcats' 10 offensive rebounds came on the heels of having 12 over the last two games combined.
Those 28 points were the fewest BYU had in any home half this season, but the first five minutes of the second went the opposite way.
Last year's game saw Cincinnati trail by seven at the half and 10 early in the second before suffocating and stunning the No. 12 Cougars, 71-60.
Rayvon Griffith scored four points in his two minutes of action, the redshirt-freshman and Cincinnati native's first in Big 12 play.
FROM WES MILLER
"You have to give credit to BYU. Their shooting performance in the second half was difficult for us to deal with. We made some errors and spotted them some easy baskets, but they also made some difficult baskets and shots over the top. Going 11-for-15 (from deep in the second half), I don't think I've ever seen a team to do that. You can play terrible defense and people don't do that.
"You have to prepare to try to win a game on Tuesday night. We can't change what happened tonight. It's college basketball, and people get their butts kicked. You have to respond. We have a group of kids that aren't gonna give in."
UP NEXT
Cincinnati will make the short drive north for a Tuesday battle at Utah (10 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).