Three Man Weave: Cincinnati Posts 79-65 Road Statement Against Hofstra

Cincinnati won in a tough place to play on Saturday.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Mar 18, 2023 4:15 PM EDT

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Cincinnati Bearcats

Hofstra Pride

CINCINNATI — UC is moving on to the NIT Quarterfinals after a statement 79-65 road win over the Hofstra Pride. Wes Miller's squad executed a great game plan and clamped down in the second half (32.4% second-half FG) to get to the next round.

The usual suspects played lights out as Landers Nolley II (20 points, 6 rebounds), Ody Oguama (14 points, 11 rebounds), and David DeJulius (19 points, 9 assists) powered a huge win inside and out.

DeJulius is now third in UC history with 190 assists this season. He only trails Oscar Robertson, who had seasons of 206 and 219 assists after passing Keith Legree on Saturday.

Here's the Three Man Weave on Cincinnati's first meeting against Hofstra in program history.

Rebound, Roll Inside

Cincinnati owned the glass again this time in the NIT as they continue to dominate games with a rebounding advantage. The Bearcats are now 20-2 this season when out-rebounding an opponent.

Oguama played the pipeline roll, amassing 5-plus offensive boards (5) for the ninth time in his career and posting 14-plus points for the sixth time.

He has constantly improved quick decision-making on those hungry second-chance points opportunities, which Cincinnati also won 13-11.

Nolley was a fiend on the glass against a shorter Hofstra team and noticed that on the other end to the tune of 12 free throw attempts. The Bearcats took 20 free throws and are now 13-2 this season when getting to the line that often.

Rebounds and contact are a great way to win tight March games. You bust them open by shooting 53% from the field. Cincinnati's 15 turnovers leave an even higher ceiling to hit for a team getting some great postseason experience.

Nolley Hunts

The Bearcats' top scorer put up a classic performance with a little more physicality mixed in. He capitalized on a sky-high usage rate with great playmaking and decision-making throughout most of the game.

First-half turnovers were a bit of a problem, but outside of that, the sniper hunted his patented spots. He crashed the glass hard and got nice free throw chances off of fakes and a few well-timed drives.

Hofstra is an average defense that's susceptible to sped-up offense.

Cincinnati got a lot of quick looks in the paint as a result and Nolley helped dish those buckets a few times. All in all, it was exactly what Cincinnati needed against a team with one home loss this season.

The 2021 NIT Most Outstanding Player could capture that award again with a few more similar outings.

Backcourt Pride

Hofstra's guards dominated the scoring tally on Saturday as they kept the home team's hopes alive throughout the game. Aaron Estrada (18 points, 8 assists) had a rare inefficient outing, but he, Tyler Thomas (16 points, 5 rebounds), and Darlinstone Dubar (16 points, 7 rebounds) combined for 50 of the 65 points.

Only Dubar shot over 50%, as Estrada (7-24 FGs) shot under 30% for just the fifth time this season. UC hounded the CAA Player of the Year all game as the Bearcats blocked out road noise with a sound defensive game plan.

The guard never utilized his size to draw whistles, and it led to a lot of jump shots. Thomas capitalized at times with his clean jumper, but Cincinnati turned too many bricked looks into easy tries at the rim.

The Bearcats now travel out west to play the winner of Utah Valley-Colorado Tuesday or Wednesday.

Those teams cap the weekend on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU). Catch the game via fuboTV—start your free trial here.

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

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