Cincy Reporter

The Cincinnati men's basketball team hosts La Salle on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.) in its penultimate non-conference battle. Fans with a game ticket can also take part in an iceless ice rink outside of Fifth Third Arena (west side near tennis courts) from 11-1:30. Skates and hot chocolate will be provided, courtesy of Fifth Third Bank, as well as a big screen of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl sponsored by Your Local Ford.

THE RUNDOWN
David DeJulius' 10-straight points in the first half to give Cincinnati the lead for good in a 103-76 victory over Miami (Ohio), the 149th meeting between the teams. UC's 103 points and 63.3 field-goal percentage were both its best since Nov. 27, 2018 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and it was its most points against the RedHawks since 1959.

Combined with Landers Nolley II's 20 points (4-5 3FG), it was UC's second game with two 20-point scorers. Since last year, the first-year Memphis transfer has improved his shooting by 12 percent and three-point clip by 10.7 percent. DeJulius' 22 marked his fourth time in five games (sixth this season) with 20-plus, and he has 842 in his third year at UC. The Bearcats have scored 50-plus points in three-straight halves as well. Mika Adams-Woods notched a season-high six assists for the third-straight game, and Viktor Lakhin extended his double-digit scoring streak to seven games by shooting 6-for-7 for 14 points, leading the AAC and ranking ninth at 69.5 percent.

Cincinnati has shot 50-percent or better in five games this season after doing so once last year. It is also 31-for-35 from the foul line the last two games (89 percent) after shooting 59 percent over the previous two. The Bearcats were 12-for-20 from deep (60 percent), their highest mark since Dec. 4, 2019 against Vermont. UC has made 10-plus threes 16 times in the Miller tenure and its only loss out of six games this year was to Arizona. UC has only lost the fastbreak points battle once (Arizona), and Wednesday was the third game with a 20-plus point margin.

SERIES HISTORY
Cincinnati has not played the Explorers since 2004, which was only the third meeting since 1961. La Salle's last win in the series was in 1952, when the Explorers were No. 1 in the country.

The teams' last meeting came on Dec. 22, 2004, with UC winning 84-63 behind Chadd Moore's 10-point, 10-assist double-double amidst a snowstorm that limited the crowd to 2,000. Five other Bearcats scored in double-figures as well.

The namesake of La Salle's arena, Naismith Hall of Famer Tom Gola, has the Cincinnati opponent individual record with 25 rebounds in the 1952 matchup. La Salle is led by legendary head coach Fran Dunphy, whose 585 wins are the most in Philadelphia Big 5 history. He was 3-8 against the Bearcats in his Temple/AAC tenure (2013-19). 

Original source can be found here.