David DeJulius scored 21 points and host Cincinnati pulled away to an 89-66 nonconference victory over Alabama A&M on Tuesday.
Ody Oguama contributed 13 points and eight rebounds before fouling out for the Bearcats (3-0). Mike Saunders Jr. had 14 points and three steals, and Jeremiah Davenport tossed in 12 points, with all of his output coming on 3-point makes.
Jalen Johnson carried the Bulldogs (1-2) with 30 points and seven rebounds. Garrett Hicks added 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Cincinnati shot 47.5 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line. The Bulldogs were held to 37.1 percent shooting.
The Bearcats had a 42-31 rebounding advantage and a 40-11 advantage in bench points. They also recorded assists on 22 of their 29 field goals.
DeJulius hit a 3-point jumper with 12:40 remaining in the first half to give Cincinnati a 22-11 lead. An 11-3 spurt by Alabama A&M, including five points by Hicks, over the next three minutes cut the Bearcats’ advantage to three points.
The Bulldogs didn’t get any closer than that the rest of the half, but the Bearcats’ lead remained in single digits. Neither team scored in the last 1:41 and Cincinnati held a 37-32 lead at the break. Johnson kept the underdogs close with 16 first-half points.
The Bearcats finally broke the game open with an outburst early in the second half. John Newman III and Saunders had three-point plays as part of a 16-0 Cincinnati run. Saunders also drained a 3-pointer and made a steal and fast-break layup during that span.
Johnson ended the Bulldogs’ drought with four consecutive points. DeJulius scored nine points during a 2:13 span midway through the half to give Cincinnati a 62-42 lead.
The Bearcats’ biggest lead was 29 when Davenport made a 3-pointer.
–Field Level Media
