Cincinnati Bearcats Defeat Western Carolina in Season Opener

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati men’s basketball team opened its 125th season with a commanding 94-63 victory over Western Carolina Monday night at Fifth Third Arena.

This win marks the Bearcats’ sixth consecutive victory in season openers, with all five wins under head coach Wes Miller.

“I think that it’s good to get the first one under your belt,” Miller said. “We played two exhibition games on the road in front of other fans, so it was really nice to get out to Fifth Third in front of our fans. I want to really thank the people that came out and supported us tonight.”

Cincinnati dominated in multiple statistical categories, including field goal percentage (54.2% to 35.9%), points off turnovers (26-13), bench points (26-10), and fast-break points (16-0).

Abaev, Thiam, and Miller led the scoring for the Bearcats with 18 points each, while freshman Rodriguez added 10 points off the bench. Abaev’s scoring debut was significant as it recorded the highest points by a Bearcat freshman in their debut since November 2010.

Miller also recorded a double-double, contributing 10 rebounds alongside his 18 points.

The game got off to a quick start with Abaev scoring a jumper just 15 seconds in. The Bearcats quickly took an early lead with two three-pointers and reached a 25-8 advantage following an 11-0 run with 12:50 left in the first half.

Cincinnati continued to maintain control, leading 49-28 at halftime after converting 14 Catamount turnovers into 18 points. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the field in the first half.

The second half began with a 6-0 run from Cincinnati, pushing the lead to 28 points at 56-28. Western Carolina managed to chip away at the lead, but Cincinnati responded with a Thiam three-pointer that extended the margin to 69-49.

The Bearcats established their largest lead with an 8-0 run late in the game, finishing the contest up by 33 points at 94-61 with just 17 seconds left.

Cincinnati will continue its four-game homestand, hosting Georgia State at 7 p.m. Friday.