Tulane University
3-11, 0-2
Cincinnati
12-2, 2-0
Men's Basketball Falls at No. 23 Cincinnati
Jan 1, 2017 | Men's Basketball
CINCINNATI - Cincinnati shot north of 55 percent from the field in both halves as the Tulane men's basketball team suffered a 92-56 road loss in conference play on Sunday evening at Fifth Third Arena.
Cameron Reynolds led the Green Wave with 17 points for his 10th double-figure scoring performance of the season, Ray Ona Embo scored 11 points and Kain Harris chipped in 10 off the bench. Sammis Reyes grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and blocked two shots.
The Bearcats also placed three scorers in double digits, led by Jarron Cumberland's career-high 19 points off the bench. Kevin Johnson had 15 points and Jacob Evans contributed 13 points, as Cincinnati shot 33-for-58 (.569) overall as a team and 13-for-24 (.542) from three-point range.
Tulane (3-11, 0-2 AAC) matched the Bearcats' offensive pace early on as three different players scored baskets, including Ryan Smith who tied the game at six apiece with 17:16 left in the first half.
Cincinnati (12-2, 2-0 AAC) scored 12-straight points from that point to create a double-digit lead, forcing the Green Wave into calling its second timeout with 14:44 remaining. The Bearcats extended their scoring run to 14-0 before a Harris baseline jumper at the 12:19 mark ended a five-minute scoring drought to make the deficit 20-8.
Tulane's offense began to click and the offense created stops over the subsequent nine minutes, as Harris sunk a pair of threes and Reynolds hit a series of baseline jumpers to cut the deficit to nine, 32-23, with 3:57 to go. A layup by Reynolds and a tip-in by Melvin Frazier at the 1:16 mark brought the Wave within just seven, 34-27, but Cincinnati was able to close the half with five-straight points to take a 12-point lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
The Green Wave shot 11-for-30 (.367) overall, 3-for-11 (.273) beyond the arc and 2-for-4 (.500) at the free throw line in the first half, while the Bearcats shot 16-for-28 (.571) on the floor, 4-for-8 (.500) from three and 3-for-5 (.600) at the foul stripe. They outscored the Wave, 24-10, in the paint and 16-7 off turnovers in the period.
Cincinnati erupted with the start of the second half by going 7-for-8 from the field, including 5-for-6 from three-point range, to outscore Tulane, 21-7, down to the 14:08 mark to create a 60-34 advantage.
The Bearcats eclipsed the 30-point barrier for the first time, 67-37, with 12:38 to go in the midst of a 14-2 run that eventually created their largest advantage of the night, 78-39, down to the 8:08 point. Both teams pulled their starters and emptied their benches in the waning minutes, as Cincinnati closed out the 36-point victory.
The Bearcats owned a 36-20 scoring advantage in the paint, 20-12 off turnovers, 19-6 on the fast break and 42-12 off the bench. The Green Wave outscored the home team, 16-12, on second chance baskets.
Tulane will take a seven-day break before returning home to host Memphis on Sunday, Jan. 8. Opening tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. (CT) and the game will be broadcast by the American Sports Network and available on ESPN3/WatchESPN.
