DAYTON, Ohio (AP)—Armein Kirkland scored 23 points and Cincinnati used its speed to pull away from Dayton for a 65-55 victory Saturday.
The game was a see-saw battle until the 4-minute mark, when Cincinnati dominated under the basket and turned fast breaks into points.
With Cincinnati leading 52-49, James White took a pass on a fast break, did a 360-degree spin under the basket and was fouled as the ball went through the hoop. White converted the free throw for a six-point lead, and the Bearcats never looked back.
Cincinnati (4-0) outrebounded the Flyers 42-30 and scored 26 points in the paint to Dayton’s 16.
Dayton (1-3) hit 6 of 13 3-pointers in the first half, but they cooled off in the second half and were 1-of-12.
Dayton outhustled the Bearcats for much of the second half, grabbing rebounds, making steals and scoring off turnovers. But in the final minutes, the Bearcats used their size advantage to rebound missed Flyer shots and race back down the floor before Dayton could set up defensively.
Dayton played without starting center James Cripe, who was out with a bruised lower back.
Jason Maxiell scored 12 points for Cincinnati, and White added 11.
Mark Jones had 12 points for the Flyers.
In the first half, Cincinnati jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but the Flyers battled back using 3-pointers and tied the game at 16 apiece with 11:49 left. From then on it was a see-saw battle, with seven lead changes. At halftime, Dayton led 33-31.
