AAC Basketball: Cincy pulls away in 2nd half to remain undefeated in league play

Cincinnati overcomes a rough first half of shooting to rally back and defeat Temple in an AAC basketball showdown.

The No. 20-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats overcame a rough shooting first half to recover and defeat the Temple Owls Wednesday night, 81-74.

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Cincinnati struggled out of the gate in the first half, as they started the game 5-of-14 from the floor. They especially struggled from three in the half, as they went 2-of-10 from beyond the arch. The Bearcats got off so many shots in the first half thanks to nine offensive rebounds during that time frame.

With Cincinnati struggling, Temple took advantage by taking a 28-26 lead into halftime.

Temple had the early lead in the first half but struggled to hold onto it thanks to nine turnovers.Shizz Alston Jr. kept the Owls in the game and helped them reclaim the lead when it looked like the Bearcats were going to pull away in the half.

Shizz Alston Jr. kept the Owls in the game and helped them reclaim the lead when it looked like the Bearcats were going to pull away in the half. Alston scored 15 of his game-high 25 points during the second half. He also had six assists and two rebounds in the game.

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The free throw line made the biggest difference for Cincinnati as the Bearcats went 20-for-24 in the game.

Troy Caupain came a rebound shy of a double-double, leading Cincinnati in scoring with 19 points. Kevin Johnson and Kyle Washington each scored 16 points for the Bearcats, while Jacob Evans had 15.

Cincinnati maintained its lead over both SMU and UCF. The win puts them at 6-0 in the AAC and 16-2 overall. The Bearcats have now won nine straight games. They have not lost a single game since Dec. 10 versus Butler.

Cincinnati’s win over the Owls gives the Bearcats the head-to-head edge. The two teams previously met Dec. 28 with Cincinnati winning 56-50. The Bearcats wrap up the week by playing Tulane on Saturday in New Orleans.

Temple’s skid in the AAC continues, as they drop to 1-6 in conference play and fall to a .500 record at 10-10.

The Owls have now lost three straight games and six of their last seven. The lone win for Temple in conference play came on Jan. 7 versus East Carolina.

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Head coach Fran Dunphy has a whole week off to help get the Owls ready for their next game. The bad news is, they have both Memphis and Houston on the schedule next week. They’ll play the Tigers first next Wednesday.