Cincinnati Cruises to 86-60 Win over East Carolina

The No. 12 Cincinnati Bearcats won their 10th-straight game on Saturday, rolling past the East Carolina Pirates 86-60 at BB&T Arena. The win was also the 36th-straight for the Bearcats at home, which, as you might know if you’ve been paying attention, is the longest such streak in the country.

Jacob Evans and Kyle Washington each finished with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting to lead the Bearcats (17-2, 6-0 American Athletic Conference), who remain at the top of the AAC. Gary Clark had a slow start, going 2-for-8 from the field in the first 20 minutes, but he ended up with 14 points and 14 rebounds as well as two blocks and two steals. One of those blocks was about as vicious as they come.

Jarron Cumberland scored a team-high nine points in the first half and tallied 14 for the game, while Nysier Brooks (8 points, 5 rebounds) and Cane Broome (7 points, 6 assists) were instrumental off the bench.

The Pirates (8-11, 2-6) gave it their best shot, especially in the first half when they knocked down 55.2 percent from the floor, but their struggles from three-point range were rampant throughout the game (4-for-16) and they really struggled in the second half (9-for-30 from the floor). They also had more than twice as many turnovers as the Bearcats (15-7) and got clowned on the boards (46-29).

Cincinnati, which is a perfect 10-0 at their temporary home this season, will be back again on Wednesday to face off with the Temple Owls, a team that Evans beat with a buzzer beater on Jan. 4.