Senior forward Tre Scott scored 15 points to lead the host Cincinnati Bearcats to a 78-66 win over the 21st-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday night.
Cincinnati, playing before its first home sellout of the season, shot 56.4 percent for the game.
The Bearcats (7-4) also got 11 points each from Jaevin Cumberland, Keith Williams, Chris Vogt and Mika Adams-Woods.
Jarron Cumberland, the reigning Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference and Jaevin's cousin, fouled out with 1:57 left in the game and was held to 10 points and four assists.
Tennessee (7-3) nearly suffered a damaging injury with 18:24 left in the second half as starting point guard Lamonte Turner stepped on the foot of Adams-Woods. Turner twisted his left ankle on the play and left the game but later returned. He finished with 12 points and three assists.
The Volunteers were also led by John Fulkerson, who had 14 points and four steals. Jordan Bowden had 13 points and six assists. Yves Pons also scored in double figures with 11 points, but the Volunteers shot just 3 of 15 on 3-pointers (20 percent).
Volunteers coach Rick Barnes, who has 699 career wins, lost in his second straight opportunity to become just the seventh active Division I coach to reach 700.
Cincinnati put together its best shooting performance of the season - including 64 percent from the floor, 4 of 8 on 3-pointers and 2 of 2 on free throws in the first half en route to a 38-34 lead at intermission.
Neither team had a lead larger than six points in a closely contested first half, and the Volunteers also shot the ball well -- 52 percent from the floor and 7-for-7 from the foul line. They only took three shots from deep however, making one.
A 10-2 Cincinnati run to end the first half gave the Bearcats momentum as Jaevin Cumberland had six points and one assist during that run.
Cincinnati had some misfortune in the first 5:04 of the second half as starters Jarron Cumberland and Vogt each suffered their fourth foul, with both of them heading for the bench.
The Bearcats, though, overcame those obstacles to earn the victory.
--Field Level Media
Tennessee | Cincinnati | |
John Fulkerson 14 | Scoring | Tre Scott 15 |
Jordan Bowden 6 | Assists | Mika Adams-Woods 4 |
Josiah-Jordan James 4 | Rebounds | Tre Scott 7 |
Lamonte Turner 6 | Free Throws Made | Mika Adams-Woods 4 |
John Fulkerson 4 | Steals | Jarron Cumberland 2 |
Jordan Bowden 1 | Blocks | Chris Vogt 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Tennessee | 66 | 45.1 | 3-15 | 17-17 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 10 | 14 |
Cincinnati | 78 | 56.4 | 5-15 | 11-16 | 17 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 15 |