by Taylor Bergfeld
On a cold Thursday evening, the Cincinnati Bearcats took on the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, the keyword of the first half was EFFORT. The Bearcats under first-year head coach Wes Miller gave 110% on both ends of the court and were led by Jeremiah Davenport and David DeJulius’ 3 point barrage. The Bearcats attacked Tulsa’s 2-3 matchup zone and torched the nets with Davenport going 5-6 and DeJulius 4-5 from long range. Fifth Third Arena was rocking as the Bearcats picked up the defensive intensity forcing 6 TOs to extend their lead to 41-34 at the half.
The story of the game was just how impressive Jeremiah Davenport was, he lead the Bearcats in scoring with 24 points, shooting 7-14 from the field and 7-9 from 3 point range. Davenport chipped in with 4 rebounds and 4 assists as he continues to showcase his skill set as the leader of this Bearcats team. Davenport wasn’t the only Bearcat to torch the nets tonight, Senior David DeJulius was 4-6 from downtown, as well as Mason Madsen shooting 4-5. The Bearcats as a team shot 16-27 (59%) from deep as this is another strong performance for a team who’s finding their stride offensively.
Whether it was Bob Huggins or Mick Cronin the Bearcats were known for their defensive presence. Although it’s not on the same level in 2022, the Bearcats are fiesty on defense. Their guards are active in the passing lane and have trust within each other to allow each player to be aggressive. I am enjoying the process, as cliche as that sounds I think this Bearcats team is improving each time they step on the court.
I’ve continued to sing the praises of Coach Wes Miller, but I think calling his hiring a success would be an understatement. Miller has won everywhere he’s been, from winning a national title at North Carolina, to consistently being the top dog in the SOCON. Bearcats fans are truly enjoying the rise as Miller has the Bearcats competition on both ends of the floor. The Bearcats improve to 14-5 on the year and 4-2 in the AAC, although a lot of work needs to be done for the Bearcats to obtain an at-large bid to the big dance, they can continue taking care of business in the conference and improving every day. The Bearcats travel next Tuesday to take on the Owls of Temple at 7:00.
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