CINCINNATI (AP) - Kyle Washington scored 14 points and No. 11 Cincinnati extended its winning streak to 15 games with a 60-50 victory over Central Florida on Wednesday night.
Washington also finished with 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season as Cincinnati (22-2, 11-0 American Athletic Conference) won its 23rd consecutive home game.
Facing the Knights’ 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall before a crowd of 9,510, the Bearcats attempted 29 3-pointers, their second-highest total of the season and five shy of their season-high. They connected on nine.
Fall also finished with a double-double, scoring 14 points on five dunks and two tip-ins and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead Central Florida (15-9, 6-6), which has lost five of its last six games. B.J. Taylor also scored 14 points for the Knights.
Jacob Evans had 11 points for the Bearcats.
The Knights closed a 15-point first-half deficit to five on a 3-pointer by Nick Banyard with 10:37 left in the game, but the Bearcats put together an 11-3 run to regain control.
Washington connected on two 3-pointers from the top of the key, sparking Cincinnati to a 9-0 lead. The Bearcats led 30-15 on Evans’ dunk off an alley-oop pass from Troy Caupain with 5:34 left in the first half. Fall scored six of his eight first-half points during the Knights’ 13-4 run that cut the Bearcats’ lead to 34-28 at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Central Florida: The Knights struggled from 3-point range, finishing just 3 of 15.
Cincinnati: Washington, a transfer from North Carolina State who sat out last season, was coming off a career-high 27-point effort in Cincinnati’s 82-68 win over UConn on Saturday.
UP NEXT
UCF opens a brief two-game home stand on Friday against UConn.
The Bearcats travel to No. 25 Southern Methodist on Sunday for a rematch with the Mustangs. Cincinnati squeezed out a 66-64 home win on Jan. 12.
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