Cincinnati Pulls Away From American in Season Opener
Cincinnati beat American 79-53 in Cincinnati on November 2, opening the season with its seventh straight season-opening win. MJ Collins Jr. and Tyler Tejada led the Bearcats with 13 points apiece.
Cincinnati turned a narrow halftime advantage into a comfortable win over American, outscoring the Eagles by 24 after the break. The Bearcats led 35-33 at halftime, then held American to 20 second-half points to start the season 1-0 and improve to 2-0 in the teams’ all-time series. The game was Jerrod Calhoun’s first as Cincinnati’s coach and the program’s seventh consecutive victory in a season opener.
Collins and Tejada each finished with 13 points. Tejada made five of 10 shots, including three of five from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds. Collins scored three points before halftime, then sparked the second-half surge with aggressive drives and outside shooting. Cincinnati outrebounded American 48-32, while Tylen Riley recorded five assists. David Iweze added seven boards, swiped the ball four times and blocked two shots as a reserve.
Madden Collins paced American with 20 points, and Julen Iturbe had 10 points and seven rebounds. Cincinnati’s shooting from three-point range was uneven, with the Bearcats making eight of 27 attempts. The team next hosts Green Bay on November 5. American is scheduled to visit Clemson on November 6.