HOUSTON (AP) — Quentin Grimes had 20 points and eight rebounds, and No. 6 Houston used a big first half to roll past Cincinnati 90-52 on Sunday.
Tramon Mark scored 12 points, DeJon Jarreau added 11 points and five rebounds, and Fabian White Jr. had 10 points and nine rebounds for Houston (18-3, 12-3 American Athletic Conference). The Cougars shot 47% and hit 19 of 21 from the free throw line.
The Cougars forced Cincinnati into 13 turnovers, which Houston converted into 22 points.
The margin of victory was the largest for either team in the series, besting a 115-78 win by the Bearcats in Dec. 1998. Cincinnati leads the series with Houston 34-6.
Jeremiah Davenport scored 11 points and Tari Eason added 10 points for the Bearcats (7-8, 5-5), who saw their four-game winning streak snapped. Cincinnati shot 30%.
Houston outscored the Bearcats 32-7 over the final 11 minutes of the first half to take a 50-26 lead at the break. Jarreau scored nine points and Mark had eight in the half-ending run.
The Cougars shot 9 of 18 from the field and hit 13 of 13 from the free-throw line during that stretch, while Cincinnati was 2 of 15 from the field and did not have a field goal over the final five minutes of the half.
BIG PICTURE
Cincinnati: The Bearcats played tough for the first eight minutes and held a 19-18 lead behind 6-of-10 shooting but went cold from the floor. ... Cincinnati allowed a season high in points while scoring a season low.
Houston: The Cougars extended their home winning streak to 22 games. ... Houston won the rebounding battle, 47-31, and held a 16-2 advantage in second-chance points. The Cougars also had a 40-16 advantage in points in the paint and 20-6 edge in fast-break points.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati: Travels to Tulsa on Wednesday.
Houston: Hosts South Florida on Feb. 28.
