No. 23 Cincinnati pummels Tulane 92-56 (Jan 01, 2017)
CINCINNATI (AP) Cincinnati was way too much for Tulane.
Jarron Cumberland scored a career high 19 points and the No. 23 Bearcats routed Tulane 92-56 on Sunday night.
Cincinnati (12-2, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) was picked to win the league in the preseason coaches' poll and Tulane (3-11, 0-2) was pegged last. The Green Wave also entered the game ranked 321st in the NCAA's RPI to UC's 21st.
The disparity was evident on the court, as UC handed Tulane its most lopsided loss of the season. The Green Wave trailed by as many as 39 points.
UC set the tone early, vaulting ahead on a 14-0 run behind eight Cumberland points and capitalizing on seven Green Wave turnovers in the first seven minutes.
The Bearcats' offense was prepared for both ways the Green Wave double-teamed. That was a major obstacle, said former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., who's in his first season at the program's helm.
''We had some good double teams in the low post and we got split by the double team. The ball was passed out to the weak side and they hit a couple of threes on us. You talk about it all the time, when you try to get a guy back on his heels and you get the job done and you make perfect execution but you let that happen,'' Dunleavy said.
''In a couple situations, a guy was too far up the floor and out of position. We went for the double team and missed the cutter and gave up an easy layup. We probably gave up 12-13 points in the first half on those types of things.''
Although the Bearcats extended their initial run to 18-2, Tulane's ability to work the perimeter helped it draw within nine points with 3:57 left in the half.
Sloppy play by the Bearcats led to four straight points by Tulane, triggering a timeout by UC coach Mick Cronin with 1:13 left in the frame. But UC found its bearings quickly, as Kyle Washington promptly scored and Kevin Johnson buried a 3-pointer to give UC a 39-27 halftime lead.
The Green Wave was unable to stop UC's second-half barrage. Four 3-pointers in short order - three by Jacob Evans and one by Johnson - gave the Bearcats a 63-34 advantage with 13:40 left, and the home team rolled.
''We've got to do a better job on the defensive backboard. We did that in the second half and that was the key,'' Cronin said. ''Once we were able to finish the stop, finish the possession with a rebound, we were able to run out and get some lay-ups and dunks.''
UC shot 56.9 percent throughout and scored 20 points off Tulane's 15 turnovers.
For Cumberland, who played a career-most 26 minutes, it was a memorable night in his freshman season.
''I knocked some down shots early in the game and it just builds up my confidence,'' Cumberland. ''It helps me out in the long run.''
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Bearcats also won their league opener at Temple 56-50 on Wednesday night, giving themselves a chance to move up in the rankings.
BIG PICTURE
The Bearcats won their 17th straight home game, including a 9-0 mark this season. It's the second longest home winning streak in the Mick Cronin era behind a 19-game victory stretch from March 2, 2013 to Feb. 15, 2014.
The Green Wave lost a fourth straight game - and 10th of its last 12 - and dropped to 1-3 in true road contests. Tulane also absorbed a second loss this season to a Top 25 team, also falling to then-No. 6 North Carolina in a season opener. Tulane's last win over a ranked team was Dec. 22, 1999 over No. 25 NC State.
UP NEXT
Tulane hosts Memphis on Sunday and plays Jan. 11 at the University of South Florida.
Cincinnati travels to Houston for a Saturday game and then hosts Southern Methodist University on Jan. 12.
