CINCINNATI -- Senior guard Farad Cobb scored 21 points, making 5 of 7 3-point shots, to lead No. 22 Cincinnati to a 76-57 victory over Tulsa on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena, snapping the Bearcats' two-game losing streak.

Cobb's offensive numbers stand out, but Cincinnati's defense set the tone for the Bearcats -- returning to a more aggressive style after coach Mick Cronin publicly blasted his team's effort in recent games.

Cincinnati (11-4, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) built a 35-11 lead in the first half as Tulsa (8-6, 0-2) started the game by making only one of its first 16 shots.

The Golden Hurricane went 10:49 without making a basket in one stretch, including 4:02 without getting off a shot. Cincinnati held Tulsa to 33.3 percent shooting for the game.

"Our defensive activity in every way, shape or form was much better today. You've got a chance to win games when you do that," Cronin said. "I thought the guys stayed focused on the things we were asking them to focus on. ... We've been able to get 76 (points). The problem has been we've been giving up 79."

Cobb made four 3-pointers and scored 22 points in a 56-47 win at Tulsa last March. He made his first three 3-point shots on Saturday, all in first five minutes, as part of Cincinnati's 18-2 opening run.

"We were out in passing lanes, deflecting the ball, and that gets you going as a team," said Cobb, who was the only one of the 10 Cincinnati players who scored to finish in double figures.

Sophomore forward Gary Clark equaled his season high with 14 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, to go with seven points and four assists.

"I think we responded well. We had a good week of practice. We had all intense practices, really getting after it and trying to get back to the way we play defense," Clark said. "I was more aggressive when I was on the ball. People weren't just teeing me up and shooting in my face. I was up more, getting more deflections. I had two games without a single deflection. Tonight I was able to disrupt things and I was hitting the glass pretty hard."

Cronin likes for his team to get 40 deflections per game. They had just 15 Tuesday in a loss against Temple. They had 38 against Tulsa.

Tulsa senior guard Shaquille Harrison, who came into the game No. 2 in the AAC in scoring, equaled Cobb with 21 points. It was his seventh 20-point game of the season.

The Golden Hurricane cut the deficit to 12 points, 47-35, with 16:17 left in the second half, but Cincinnati answered with a 15-3 run that put the game away.

"They whipped us. They physically whipped us," Tulsa coach Frank Haith said. "They were just more aggressive, played with great toughness -- much more toughness than our guys did. They set the tone early in the game the way they competed and how hard they went at it on both ends of the court. I think they were really aggressive on the defensive end and really aggressive on the offensive end how they attacked, got offensive rebounds. They just played with sheer determination and whipped us, and that is tough as a coach to say about your team."

Cincinnati had not lost three consecutive home games since Cronin's first season of 2006-07, when he took over a program that had only one returning scholarship player.

The Bearcats allowed opponents to score 70 or more points only once last season but already have given up that many points four times this season, including in home losses to Butler, Iowa State and Temple.

NOTES: The 19-point margin of defeat was the largest of the season for Tulsa. Its previous five losses were by an average of 6.2 points. ... Tulsa senior guard James Woodard entered the game leading the American with 37 3-pointers, but he made just 1 of 7 against Cincinnati. ... The Golden Hurricane have given up 22 3-pointers in their last two games. SMU made 10 of 15 3-pointers in an 81-69 win last Tuesday. ... Tulsa next hosts East Carolina on Tuesday. ... Saturday was the first time Cincinnati hosted Tulsa since Jan. 22, 1972, when the teams were members of the Missouri Valley Conference. ... Center Octavius Ellis of Cincinnati picked up his second technical foul of the season with 11:37 left in the first half. Ellis reacted verbally after being fouled by D'Andre Wright while making a layup. ... Cincinnati was called for a season-high 24 fouls, including 16 in the first half. ... The Bearcats made 12 of 23 3-point shots, one off their season high for baskets from behind the arc. It was the most 3-pointers allowed in a game by Tulsa. ... Cincinnati travels to play SMU on Thursday.