Cincinnati Bearcats Down Tarleton State in Dominant Second Half

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats defeated Tarleton State 76-58 on Monday night at Fifth Third Arena, improving their record to 6-2 for the season. The Bearcats pulled ahead in the second half after a competitive first.

Kerr Kriisa led the Bearcats with 20 points, converting six of 11 attempts from three-point range. Day Day Thomas added 19 points, also shooting well from beyond the arc, and dishing out six assists.

Cincinnati started strong but faced a challenge from Tarleton State. The Texans held a brief 10-9 lead after a three-pointer from Leroy Kelly IV with 15:06 remaining in the first half. The Bearcats responded with a 15-2 run, highlighted by two threes from Thomas, to lead 24-12.

The Bearcats managed to maintain a lead of 31-29 at halftime despite some turnover issues, committing seven in the first 20 minutes. Ocypher Owens led the way for Tarleton State in the first half with 10 points.

In the second half, a trio of three-pointers by Cincinnati sparked a 9-0 run, extending the lead to 45-31. However, Tarleton State quickly retaliated with a 10-0 run of their own, cutting the deficit to 47-43.

Cincinnati regained control, pushing the lead to as much as 14 points in the closing minutes, and secured their 18-point victory. Baba Miller contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bearcats.

Owens led Tarleton State with 16 points, while Kaia Isaac and Freddy Hicks added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Cincinnati’s next matchup is against Xavier on Friday, while Tarleton State will host Howard Payne.