Jarron Cumberland poured in a career-high 34 points as the Cincinnati Bearcats fended off a challenge from the visiting USF Bulls to capture a 82-74 victory at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday night.
The Bearcats may have beaten the Bulls, but they didn’t make it easy for themselves. After rolling to a 43-31 halftime lead, UC’s defense broke down over the final 20 minutes, as the Bulls opened the second half on a 24-12 run to close the gap and tie the game at 55 all with 11:52 to play. Cumberland didn’t let the Bearcats collapse, however, as he untied the game with a jumper seconds later, sparking an 8-0 run.