CINCINNATI -- No. 19 Cincinnati had grown tired of losing to crosstown rival Xavier, which had beaten them three straight years. After trailing the Musketeers by eight points at halftime Thursday night, the Bearcats decided enough was enough.

Jacob Evans scored 21 points and Troy Caupain added 16 as Cincinnati avoided a fourth-straight loss with an 86-78 victory over No. 24 Xavier before a standing-room only crowd of 13,477 in Fifth Third Arena.

"It's always big to beat the guys across the street," said Bearcats forward Gary Clark who had 13 points and 11 rebounds. "It's a big win for us against a top-25 team. It was a great test for us."

Cincinnati (18-2, 7-0 American Athletic Conference) outmuscled the Musketeers on the boards, finishing with a 42-33 advantage including 19-9 on the offensive end.

"It was just finding someone and getting a body on them," Clark said. "When you get second shots, you can wear a team down."

The Bearcats had a 30-4 advantage on second-chance points against a Xavier team that led the Big East and ranked 15th nationally in rebounding margin.

"We got our (butts) kicked on the glass," said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. "Couldn't match their intensity. Couldn't match their effort. That "want" was greater than ours."

Xavier (14-6, 4-3 Big East) lost Thursday night despite a historic 40-point performance by junior guard Trevon Bluiett, who went 9-of-11 from 3-point range.

It was the most points scored against a Bearcats team since Dell Curry scored 41 for Virginia Tech in 1985-86. It was the most points for a Musketeers player since David West had 47 against Dayton in 2003.

"The rim was as big as the ocean," said Bluiett of his performance.

The annual 'Crosstown Shootout' between the schools located less than four miles apart in the Queen City is considered among the best college basketball rivalries. In recent years, it's been rather one-sided with Xavier also winning seven of nine coming in. But, Cincinnati hoped to have reversed that trend Thursday night,

"This is a great feeling," said Caupain, a senior guard who'd never beaten Xavier. "I'm going to enjoy this one. I'm ready to jump out of my chair, for real."

The Bearcats' 50th win in the series also improved head coach Mick Cronin's mark against Xavier to 4-7.

"I don't think about it too much, other than hearing about it all the time," said Cronin. "It's a new era in this game. Both teams are going to the Big Dance. That's a good thing. But, it's always nice to win."

The animosity and vitriol between the schools which resulted in an ugly brawl in 2011 cooled in recent years. But the intensity was palpable Thursday night as fans booed Musketeers players at every opportunity and several players needed to be separated in the closing seconds.

Xavier began Thursday's game 6 of 8 from 3-point range and stayed hot from the perimeter throughout the first half.

J.P. Macura's second 3-pointer of the half gave Xavier its first lead, 15-13. He finished with 13 points.

Bluiett's third from long range made the score 28-22.

Even backup guard Quentin Goodin got in the act with his fourth 3-pointer of the season. He had seven points and six assists.

Bluiett's off-balance 3 at the halftime buzzer gave him 26 points and the Musketeers led 44-36. He began the second half with another 3-pointer, surpassing his career-high of 27 points at Colorado on Dec. 7.

A give-and-go to Edmond Sumner from Bluiett resulted in a slam giving the Musketeers a 49-41 lead before Xavier went scoreless for more than seven minutes.

The rivalry produced countless unsung heroes over the years and Thursday it was Bearcats freshman Jarron Cumberland's turn. He scored 15 points, including a few key buckets in the second half.

Cumberland's 3 capped a 6-0 run to get Cincinnati within 52-51 with 12 minutes left. The Bearcats took their first lead of the second half on Cumberland's drive and 3-point play and Fifth Third Arena erupted.

Cincinnati had a 9-0 run to take control. Meanwhile, the Musketeers shot just 26.7% in the second half as the Bearcats pulled away.

"Our second-half defense changed the game," Cronin said. "They did what they had to do to win the game."

Cincinnati led by nine with 6:09 remaining before Bluiett's layup got Xavier within one.

But every time the Musketeers forced a missed shot, the Bearcats grabbed the rebound and scored to halt the rally.

"We were punked on the glass," Bluiett said. "That was the difference. That's something we're typically good at and they put it to shame."

NOTES: It was the only third meeting in which the teams were ranked in the Associated Press poll. ... Cincinnati won its last 20 games at Fifth Third Arena, the longest home-court winning streak under coach Mick Cronin. The Bearcats are 8-5 versus Xavier at home. ... Cincinnati leads the overall series 50-34, but the Musketeers won 14 of the last 21. .... Xavier is one of only nine schools to reach 10 of the past 11 NCAA Tournaments. Cincinnati is among eight schools to reach the past six tourneys.