Cincinnati (18-2, 7-0 American) battled back from an eight point halftime deficit to beat Xavier (14-6, 4-3 Big East) 86-78 in front of a sellout crowd on Thursday night. The Bearcats outscored Xavier 50-34 in the second half thanks to 13 second-half points from freshman Jarron Cumberland. It was the 11th straight win of the season for Cincinnati, and it snaps a three-game losing streak against crosstown rival, Xavier.
The outlook was bleak for Cincinnati in the first half. The Bearcats held an early lead, but Xavier quickly battled back thanks to a barrage of three pointers from J.