Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Cincinnati Bearcats Box Score on Dec 12, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 12, 2017

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- Jacob Evans III scored 24 points and Kyle Washington added a season-high 16, helping No. 25 Cincinnati hand Mississippi State its first loss of the season, 65-50 on Tuesday night at BB&T Arena.

Cincinnati (8-2) avoided its first three-game losing streak since 2015. The Bearcats were coming off consecutive losses to crosstown rival Xavier and Florida.

Cincinnati has won 30 consecutive home games dating to a 77-70 loss to Temple on Dec. 29, 2015.

Mississippi State (8-1) was off to its best start since 2003, when it began the season 13-0, but cold shooting doomed the Bulldogs on Tuesday. They shot just 30.2 percent overall and 28.6 percent from 3-point range.

Junior forward Aric Holman tied a career-high with 18 points, and Nick Weatherspoon and Quinndary Weatherspoon each scored 12 for the Bulldogs.

Cincinnati had the lead for all but 25 seconds.

Washington's jumper gave the Bearcats their largest advantage to that point, 19-11. He had 14 points in the half, helping Cincinnati lead by as many as 12 points.

Washington also scored 16 in a win over Wyoming on Nov. 22.

Mississippi State missed 10 consecutive shots during a seven-plus-minute scoring drought, and Cincinnati responded with an 8-0 run to build a 23-11 lead.

The Bulldogs shot 35.7 percent in the half. Holman, who scored 12 in the half, had a dunk just before the halftime buzzer to cut the Bearcats' lead to 35-25.

Gary Clark's dunk off a lob from Cane Broome put Cincinnati ahead 43-31 early in the second half. Clark finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.

Mississippi State went cold again midway through the second half, missing 14 shots in a row as the Bearcats pulled away. Cincinnati scored 22 points off 16 Bulldogs turnovers.

NOTES: Mississippi State has lost 18 consecutive games vs. ranked opponents. ... Cincinnati leads the all-time series 3-2. Mississippi State hasn't beaten the Bearcats since the 1996 NCAA Tournament, a victory that sent the Bulldogs to the Final Four. ... The Bearcats are playing their home games on the campus of Northern Kentucky University while Fifth Third Arena undergoes an $87 million renovation. ... Entering Tuesday, Mississippi State led the SEC and ranked 21st nationally in fewest points allowed at 61.9.