The game seemed to be heading towards an end that Cincinnati fans know all too well. Leading by no less than nine points in the second half, including a five-point lead with a minute remaining, Cincinnati quickly found itself tied at 71 on the road against UCF. On the heels of an embarrassing collapse in East Carolina days prior, the Bearcats flirted with a sequel on Sunday thanks to a pair of last-minute turnovers that helped the Knights get revenge.
But what seemed destined for another slump was picked up by an elegantly diced runner David DeJulius in the lane to beat the final buzzer, giving Cincinnati a well-deserved 73-71 win and their first Quadrant 1 win.
Head coach Wes Miller and the Bearcats followed up the worst loss of the season with the most important win of the season, not only for the Quad 1 restart boost and maintaining a top-five seed. first in the AAC standings, but because of what it meant to the collective psyche of the team and the fan base.
A few thoughts on how Cincinnati has held up and what that means as it enters the final two weeks of the regular season.
DeJulius book
Miller has repeatedly said that this team goes as DeJulius goes. Sunday’s game winner was an exaggerated example of this, but the super senior was crucial and hung on throughout, posting 16 points (5 of 11 from the field, 6 of 6 from the free throw line) , five rebounds and eight assists. It was his 13th consecutive game with at least five assists, the longest active streak in the nation, and he averaged 7.4 assists during that span. Cincinnati needed DeJulius to become more of a facilitator and game manager throughout the conference, and he took on that role, particularly as a lethal pick-and-roll partner with Viktor Lakhin and, on Sunday, Ody Oguama.
The Bearcats also desperately need DeJulius’ scoring ability, so Miller called a timeout with 10 seconds left and worked out an isolation scenario with the ball in DeJulius’ hands. And unlike the Feb. 7 disaster at Tulane when DeJulius missed a 3-point comeback at the buzzer to send the game into futile overtime, he unbalanced his defender with slight hesitation beyond the arc before rushing to the free throw line and floating across the net.
YAHTZEE! DEJULIUS SENDS THEM HOME WITH A BUZZER BEATER!@ESPNU | https://t.co/BLm7GlwPwb pic.twitter.com/SrwNEipFTI
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) February 19, 2023
Oguama and Ezikpe take over
Cincinnati has looked like a shell of itself for long stretches since Lakhin injured his ankle in that loss to Tulane. Understandable, given his quality this season, but it was also debilitating for a side that already lacked post depth to start with.
Lakhin’s absence has put a bit on the broad but inconsistent shoulders of Oguama and Kalu Ezikpe over the past two weeks. Oguama has come into its own and earned a starting spot this season, but it works best as a complementary role. Ezikpe, buried on the bench in non-conference play, has made significant progress getting back into the rotation and contributing. Asking this duo to replace Lakhin is asking a lot, but both were massive against UCF, with Oguama scoring 15 points (hitting all seven of his shots) and four rebounds and Ezikpe adding 12 points and six rebounds. They also combined to help limit star UCF rookie Taylor Hendricks to 12 points and four of 4 of 10 rebounds from the floor.
Oguama especially thrived in the pick-and-roll with DeJulius, who assisted on three of Oguama’s four dunks, including two in the final three minutes. The Bearcats hope to get Lakhin back on Wednesday against Temple, but Oguama and Ezikpe filled in admirably on Sunday.
A victory revisited
UC managed to turn 27% shooting from 3-pointers into an impressive feat. Cincinnati attempted just 15 3-pointers against UCF, the team-lowest total in a single game this season. The Bearcats also scored 25 two-point field goals, their all-year high against a conference opponent, and attempted as many free throws (15) as 3-pointers for only the third time this season. They led in points in the paint (40-28) and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds on 24 missed shots (three thanks to Jeremiah Davenport) for 15 second-chance points.
Miller leaned more heavily on his bench early on, helping to keep an already injury-riddled rotation a bit fresher in the second half. Cincinnati also slowed the pace, tying the road loss to Houston for the fewest possessions against an AAC opponent this season, according to KenPom. The team sometimes paid the price, with a number of the 15 unusual turnovers due to trying to run more half-court offenses. But in the end, the plan worked. The Bearcats hit the road shorthanded against a quality opponent and found another way to win.
It wasn’t always sterling. Late turnovers added to the drama unnecessarily, and the defense remains a work in progress without Lakhin patrolling the paint, although slowing the pace helped temper the point tally. And after being outplayed on the glass by ECU, Cincinnati outshot the Knights 31-24.
Miller drew justified criticism for how he handled blown runs against Tulane and ECU, but he deserves credit for the way he adjusted the game plan against UCF and the way his players l have executed. The objective of this season is progress. Sunday’s result, and the way the Bearcats handled it, was a positive sign.
And after?
The victory tightened Cincinnati’s grip on a top-five spot in the conference standings, which would give the Bearcats (18-10, 9-6 AAC) a bye to the first round of the AAC tournament. Wichita State (currently sixth at 7-7) has four regular season games remaining, including Memphis, Tulane and Houston. UCF (currently seventh at 6-8) also has four to go, meaning Cincinnati could go 1-2 against Temple, Memphis and SMU and likely hold on to fifth.
By the way, the belief that UC would be better off with the sixth seed because they’re avoiding Houston all the way to the championship is insane. If this team is going to somehow work a miracle in Fort Worth, they have a much better chance of winning three games in three days instead of four in four. And if the assumption is that he will have to eliminate Houston at some point, he probably has a better chance of doing so before a marquee title fight.
Beyond the standings, Sunday’s win boosts Cincinnati’s chances for an NIT invite and, more importantly, staves off the impending potential of a second straight season-ending slump, at least for another day. The Bearcats retired from a cliff edge in Orlando. It might be a small victory in the grand scheme of things, but progress always starts with small victories. And it bypassed a crushing loss in the process.
(Photo by David DeJulius: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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