UCLA
7-4
Cincinnati
10-2
UCLA Drops Non-Conference Game at Cincinnati
December 19, 2018 | Men's Basketball
CINCINNATI – Kris Wilkes scored a team-high 21 points as the UCLA men's basketball team lost at Cincinnati 93-64 before a standing-room only crowd of 12,689 at Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday evening.
The Bruins (7-4) raced to a 17-9 lead, before Cincinnati used an 8-0 run to tie the game, 17-17, with 12:12 to play in the opening half. From that point, the host Bearcats (10-2) outscored UCLA by a 31-14 margin to lead at halftime, 48-31.
Jarron Cumberland led Cincinnati with 25 points, connecting on 4 of 5 shots from 3-point range. Cumberland was one of four players for Cincinnati to score in double figures. Keith Williams finished with 19 points, while Nysier Brooks had 14 and Justin Jenifer totaled 11.
UCLA's Cody Riley registered his first double-double of the season, recording 11 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds. Moses Brown rounded out UCLA's list of double-figure scorers, totaling 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Cincinnati shot 52 percent from the field and made 57 percent of its 3-point field goal attempts, going 12-for-21 from 3-point range against UCLA. The Bearcats made 6 of 12 three-pointers in the first half and were 6 of 9 from long-range after halftime.
Trailing by a 48-31 margin at halftime, the Bruins trimmed their deficit to 14 points early in the second half. Wilkes made a 3-pointer just 35 seconds into the second half before Jenifer answered with a 3-pointer for the Bearcats on Cincinnati's ensuing possession.
From that point, UCLA never reduced Cincinnati's advantage to any fewer than 15 points.
Cumberland scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the first half, making 7 of 14 shots before the intermission.
The Bruins will return to action against No. 15 Ohio State (10-1) on Saturday, Dec. 22, playing in the annual CBS Sports Classic. Saturday's game will begin at 12 pm PT (2 pm PT) at the United Center in Chicago. North Carolina and Kentucky will face each other after UCLA's game versus Ohio State.
