Three Man Weave: Cincinnati's Strong Second Half Powers 84-65 Win Over South Florida

Cincinnati finished their AAC run 13-2 against the Bulls.

© Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats (17-9, 8-5) got back in the win column on Saturday night with an 84-65 result over South Florida (10-15, 3-9).

Cincinnati got into a rock fight early on but settled down in the second half to win comfortably over the Bulls. Jeremiah Davenport (18 points, 5 assists) turned in his best Nati Jam red-hot performance. Fellow forward Ody Oguama (career-high 18 points, 5 rebounds) was great as well—finishing perfect from the field.

Cincinnati ends its AAC rivalry with South Florida with a 13-2 record. 

Here's the Three Man Weave on UC's first win this season when trailing at the half.

Second Half Scorcher

The Bearcats had their backs against the wall and answered with authority in the second half. Cincinnati reversed a four-point halftime deficit quickly to take control of the game.

Nice defense led to the great offense as Davenport and Oguama started a combined 9-for-9 from the field in that frame. The home storm was too much for a resilient South Florida team that entered this game undefeated against the spread as a road team.

The big shots from Davenport were crucial on a night where Landers Nolley II (13 points, 10 rebounds) did everything but shoot well. He was all over the glass and passed well, but could not get his shot to find friendly rim rolls (4-of-14 FGs).

The rest of the Bearcats did, hitting 7-of-10 threes in the second half.

Cincinnati outscored USf 50-27 in the second half.

David DeJulius (10 points, 9 assists) had a lot to do with the second-half facilitation. He has now posted five-plus assists in 11 consecutive games. That's one of the three best active marks in the nation. His steady facilitation has been crucial all season.

Ody Out Here

What a pair of recent performances from Oguama.

The forward was a fantastic 9-for-9 on-field goal attempts and got great paint positioning all night long. He's now posted career-high point totals in back-to-back games. The senior has one year of eligibility left and is making a strong case to stick around as a Big 12 player.

Boomshakalaka! Ody with the flush!@ESPNPlus | https://t.co/BLm7GlxnlJ pic.twitter.com/7QYBQrgJcN

— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) February 12, 2023

Oguama finished with a game-high 23-efficiency score and played decent defense inside, save for a few breakdowns. This is exactly what Cincinnati needed out of the veteran as their depth gets tested late in the season.

Oguama looks more comfortable and is playing faster with each successive game. Earlier in the season, it was easy to identify possessions where he hesitated a little too much.

Those are few and far between now. Cincinnati really struggles to shoot from two-point range (50.5%, 201st), but Oguama buoyed a 21-of-43 night inside the arc.

Walker Working

The Bulls' best offensive option got filled by Corey Walker on Saturday night (25 points, 6 rebounds). The forward was fantastic in the first half (6-of-9 FGs). He tallied a career-high in points during that frame alone.

Walker popped out of nowhere for the Bulls, as Saturday's was just his fourth-career double-digit outing.

He settled down the USF offense at multiple points with one-man creation. Cincinnati had trouble with his consistent floor movement—it led to plenty of open looks and a nice diet at the rim. His ball handling was crucial, tallying no turnovers on a night when the rest of USF struggled on that front.

Three-point shooting isn't his go-to strength, but he took advantage of his few chances, and it was a big boost for USF (199th in three-point percentage, 33.9%). Walker was exactly what South Florida needed out of its frontcourt on a night without second-leading scorer Russell Tchewa (34-34 in paint points).

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